


Chosen, Taken, Claimed

by SpiritSoul



Series: Crescendo [2]
Category: Ghost (Swedish Band)
Genre: Blood, Blood Drinking, Dreams/Nightmares, F/M, Familiars, Frottage, Ghoul powers, Hallucinations, M/M, Magic, Menstruation Kink, Piercings, Sigils, Song Lyrics, Sparring, Summoning Circles, Summoning weapons, potion making, temporary insanity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-09-12 19:49:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 11
Words: 31,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9087688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiritSoul/pseuds/SpiritSoul
Summary: She had a choice: join him and the clergy, or keep living her old, ordinary life with her sister. She chose him.But it’s clear that the dark pope is hiding something from her.





	1. Tonight's the Night

**Author's Note:**

> I deeply apologize if this first chapter seems rushed. I promise that it will get better after this one.

“But I never get any mail!”

Esther sighed upon hearing her sister's reply and held up the black envelope.

“It's clearly addressed to you, Mary,” she said, walking over to the table where Mary was seated at. “So it can't be a mistake.” She placed the letter down in front of her and went over to the cupboard, grabbing a mug. “But don't get your hopes up. It's probably just another reminder that our rent payment is due soon.”

Mary picked up the small envelope, looking it over. “...But if it is about the rent, shouldn't it be addressed to both of us?” she asked, brushing the bangs of her already neatly-combed hair out of her eyes.

Esther didn't respond, and only proceeded to pour herself a cup of coffee. “Just hurry up and open it,” she said after taking a sip. “We need to head to the store tonight, and you're still in your pajamas.”

Mary sighed and turned over the envelope. She slowly proceeded to open it, when something on the envelope caught her eye: a small grucifix symbol. Her eyes widened. “...Papa?” she whispered. Excited, she eagerly opened the envelope and unfolded the neatly folded letter. It had been a little more than a week since she had last talked to him, so the fact that she was hearing from him again so soon was certainly compelling. After smoothing out the piece of paper, she silently read the letter to herself. 

It read:

“Tonight's the night, Ghuleh. I do hope that you're ready. 

The instant you see Annali, stop whatever you are doing (no matter what it may be!) and follow her. She will lead you to us. Should you ever change your mind, I will give you another chance to accept or decline once you meet up with me and the Ghouls. Just know that once you get into the car, you won't be able to back down anymore.

I look forward to seeing you.  
\- P.E.”

Mary beamed with joy as she practically shot up from her chair and raced towards her bedroom. After shutting the door, she put down the letter and opened one of her drawers, beginning to pull out various articles of clothing, trying to find something that wasn't so casual. She didn't own a lot of formal attire, so picking out decent clothes was a bit of a challenge. After a while, she settled on a white and turquoise blouse, and a nice pair of long, black pants with a grey belt. After putting them on, she kicked off her socks and slipper and glanced at her other pairs of shoes: black sneakers with pink laces, brown knee-high boots, and black platform heels. 

She wore the sneakers nearly every day, so those were out. The boots desperately needed cleaning, so they were out of the question as well. That left just the black platformers.

Mary picked up the heeled shoes and hesitated for a moment before slipping them on with a sigh. As much as she absolutely despised wearing them, these were the nicest shoes that she owned, and she wanted to look as presentable as possible for Papa and the Ghouls.

After putting the shoes on, Mary took a few steps to practice getting used to walking in the heels before making her way over to the mirror. She checked her reflection, ensuring that her hair and face looked nice as well. After brushing a few strands of hair out of her face, she nodded in approval and exited her room.  
Upon seeing her, Esther stopped putting on her coat and stared at Mary, clearly perplexed as to why her sister wasn’t wearing her usual casual outfit.

“Why are you-” Esther then stopped herself from speaking further with a sigh, finished putting on her coat, and grabbed her purse. “Nevermind. Let's just go.”

***  
Mary followed Esther as she pushed the cart through the aisles of the grocery store. She was supposed to be helping her sister look for the items that they needed, but as the two of them wove in and out of the aisles, Mary’s mind began to wander. 

After a while, she found herself thinking back to when she had her first time with Emeritus. Even though she had been forced to keep her eyes closed the entire time, it had still been an incredible experience. And now, she suddenly couldn’t get her mind off of it; how his diligent hands had roamed over her body, how his hot breath had felt against her skin, how he had teased her flesh with his fingers and warm, wet mouth, and how it felt to have his cock inside her, filling her to the brim with his seed…

“Mary!”

Esther’s voice abruptly brought Mary back to reality.

“Seriously, watch where you're going! For Emeritus’ sake, this is the third time that you’ve bumped into me since we entered the store!”

Mary blushed, embarrassed by her sister's yelling and the stares she was getting from other nearby customers. “S-sorry…” she mumbled as Esther put a bag of tomatoes into the cart and checked the item off the list in her hand. She nibbled her lower lip as she stared at the food that was in the cart, and her stomach growled. All she had for breakfast was a bagel, so she was still pretty hungry.

Noticing that Esther was continuing on down the aisle without her, Mary hurried off after her sister.

The two of them continued going through the store, picking up everything that they needed. As they walked, Mary occasionally glanced at her surroundings to see if she could spot Annali anywhere. Unfortunately, every time she checked, she only saw other customers or an empty aisle filled with shelves of food. Even when they had finally arrived at the checkout counter, there had still been zero signs of her.

Mary sighed as she began to slowly unload the items from the cart, handing them to the man at the register. She had hoped that Annali would’ve appeared before she had to go to work, but at this rate, it seemed that it wouldn’t be happening until towards the end of the night. She quickened her slow pace as Esther glared at her rather impatiently, not even bothering to provide any assistance despite the large number of groceries that were in the cart. Eventually, all of the food items had been placed on the counter, and the two sisters were left waiting for the slow, tired cashier to finish loading the groceries into the bags.

While Esther tapped her foot impatiently, Mary focused her attention on what she could see outside through the automatic sliding doors. She could see countless citizens of Meliora hurrying by, clearly having somewhere to be at the moment. The occasional car passed by on the road, stopping only to let people walk across the street.

Her eyes continued to wander aimlessly until she suddenly spotted something outside that seemed out of place - a cat.

And not just any cat. A siamese cat with a black collar, staring back at her with its mismatched green and blue eyes.

Mary gasped. “Annali!” she cried. She rushed toward the doors, leaving Esther behind. By the time Ether realized that her younger sister had run off, Mary was already outside and running after the cat.

Mary wove her way through the crowds of people as she ran after Annali, doing her best not to stumble and fall because of her shoes. She ran past various stores, including the music store she and Esther owned, a couple fancier hotels, and finally rounded a corner…

...before she suddenly tripped and fell flat onto the sidewalk.

Stunned, Mary remained motionless for a moment before she attempted to pick herself back up. “Dammit. Stupid shoes…” she groaned, wincing at the pain that began springing up on her hands and knees.

She heard footsteps coming towards her, and as Mary opened her eyes, she saw a pair of neat, black and white shoes.

“Are you alright, miss?” the person in front of her asked, helping her up. Mary could tell that it was clearly a man’s voice.

Mary gave a breathy laugh as she dusted herself off. “Yeah, I… I think so,” she replied. She glanced at her arms and applied pressure to them as she slowly rotated her wrist. Nothing seemed to be hurting with excruciating pain, so, as far as she knew, at least nothing had been broken in her fall.

“Forgive me if I’m being rude,” said the man. “but don’t you know that it’s a bad idea to be running in heels?”

“Yeah, I know,” Mary sighed, lifting her head to look up at him. “I just…wasn’t...” Her voice suddenly trailed off and her eyes widened as she saw what the man looked like. He wore a tailored suit that was all black with small, white, triangular symbols embroidered on one side, a silver grucifix pendant, and on his face was a silver horned mask. He was slightly muscular and incredibly tall, practically towering over Mary as he looked down at her.

It took Mary a moment to make words come out of her mouth. “Y-you’re… one of Papa’s Ghouls…” she said, clearly in awe.

“Indeed, I am,” he replied, taking his hands off of Mary. The Ghoul then took a step back before placing a hand on his chest and giving a bow to her. “I am the one who is called ‘Air’.” He then raised himself slightly, and was about to continue speaking when he abruptly stopped himself, suddenly staring at Mary with amazement. “Your eyes…” he murmured. "They're lavender." Air then straightened himself and clasped his hands behind his back as he met Mary’s eyes. “Are you Mary Cantwell?” he asked.

Mary smiled and nodded her head in reply. The Ghoul grinned underneath his mask.

“The Papa wishes to speak with you,” he said. The Ghoul then gestured to his left with one hand, and Mary saw an elegant black car with a silver and purple inverted cross painted onto the hood parked next to them. In the window near the last row, she could see the silhouette of a man sitting in the passenger’s seat.

“It would be a good idea to not keep him waiting.”


	2. Leaving the Old Life Behind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, this is what happens when I have an entire day to myself with absolutely nothing to do. :)
> 
> Enjoy!

This was it. This was the moment she had been waiting for.

Suddenly overcome with an overwhelming sense of excitement and nervousness, Mary lowered her head and shuffled forward towards the car. When she got to the passenger door, she hesitated before raising one hand and tapped a finger against the window.

“P...Papa?” she uttered timidly.

The silhouette of Emeritus didn’t turn to look at her. He merely kept his head forward, and when he suddenly began to lower the window a couple inches, Mary backed a couple small steps away. For a while, there was nothing but silence as she waited for Papa to speak.

Then, finally, the man broke the silence.

“Hello, Ghuleh,” Papa said, speaking with a solemn voice. He tugged at the cuffs of his sleeves, then turned his head to look at Mary through the tinted black glass which hid his face from her. “I see you got my letter.”

“That I did,” Mary replied, flashing him an awkward smile as she averted her eyes, unsure if what she had said was the correct reply.

Another moment of silence fell between them before Papa spoke up again. “Are you alright?” he asked. “That looked to be a pretty bad fall.”

“Yeah, but I’m fine now.” Mary dusted herself off again. “Thanks for asking.”

Emeritus nodded his head, then crossed his legs as he adjusted himself in his seat and sighed. “I assume that you already know what I’m about to ask you,” he declared.

Upon hearing the seriousness in Papa’s tone return, Mary suddenly straightened herself, at attention.

“Regardless, I want to hear your answer just one last time.” Papa made eye contact with her, and Mary thought she could see the glinting of a white eye through the glass. 

“Mary,” Emeritus said. “do you still wish to help us, despite not knowing just what you are getting yourself into?”

Mary closed her eyes and slowly took a breath to compose herself, opening them again after she had exhaled. “I-”

“There you are!”

Startled, Mary turned to find Esther storming over towards her, irritation clearly present on her face.

“First you continuously bump the cart into me in the store, and now you just run off without telling me?!” Her older sister grabbed her wrist and held it tightly. “Enough is enough, Mary! I haven’t been able to take you anywhere for the past week without you causing me trouble.” She then began to drag Mary away from the car. “You’re going home and staying there until I decide that you can leave!”

“Miss.”

Air’s voice caused Esther to stop, and she shot a glare at the Ghoul. “What do you-” Her eyes widened when she saw his grucifix symbol and the black car next to him. The girl cleared her throat and released her grasp on Mary as she turned to face him. “Yes?” she asked, attempting to hide her disdain.

“This young lady here was in the middle of talking with the Papa.”

Esther turned her head and glowered at Mary. “Seriously?!” she hissed, narrowing her eyes. 

Mary didn’t respond, and a sheepish look appeared on her face as she averted her eyes. Esther then turned her head back towards Air, a fake smile reappearing on her face.

“Oh! Was she?” Esther exclaimed. She gently placed a hand on Mary’s shoulder and looked at the Ghoul apologetically. “I’m incredibly sorry that she was wasting his time. You see, she has his strange fascination with him, and-”

“She wasn’t wasting his time,” Air stated, interrupting Esther. “Not at all. He actually requested that she meet him here tonight.”

Esther only gave another laugh. “Well, I’m afraid that she’s going to have to hold off on that request until later,” she said, once more attempting to drag Mary away. “You see, the two of us are pretty busy, and we have to head off to work right about…”

Her voice trailed off when Air suddenly walked over to her. Her eyes widened and she gasped when he reached out and grabbed her chin, his eyes boring deep into hers.

Mary’s eyes widened as well, and she turned her head to look at Papa. “Wh-what is he-”

Papa waved his hand, silencing Mary immediately. “Don’t worry, Ghuleh. Air won’t harm her,” he said. “He has been ordered not to do so unless I tell him.”

The Ghoul continued to stare at Esther in complete silence for what felt like an eternity before finally letting go of her and drawing back.

“This… reluctance of yours to let your sister comply with Papa’s demands…” Air said. “It isn’t really about work or schedules, is it Esther?”

Esther’s eyes widened. “H-how do you know my name?!” she demanded, anger beginning to fill her voice once more. When Air didn’t immediately respond, she became even more visibly frustrated. “Hey! I asked you a question!” she yelled, balling her hands up into fists.

“It’s because you don’t want Mary, your little sister, to have all of this attention from us,” Air continued. “You know how special we consider her, so you refuse to accept that you’re not viewed by the clergy as the superior sibling. You’re afraid of inferiority.”

Esther’s hands clenched tighter, and she gritted her teeth as she listened to Air. “Y-...You-... How...” She tried to talk further, but she couldn’t make more words come out of her mouth.

“But there’s more,” Air said, still not finished lecturing to Esther. He took a step forward, and his eyes narrowed as he loomed over her. “You’re also afraid of us.”

“N-no I’m not!” Esther argued, immediately lashing out at the Ghoul. “That’s a ridiculous idea!”

Air sighed and shook his head. “See? You’re denying it, even now.” The Ghoul clasped his hands behind his back. “You wanted to make us the targets of your anger, but you were worried about what punishment you might face if you lash out at us. Therefore, you chose to demonstrate your frustration through an alternative method - attempting to keep your sister away from us. You tried to convince her that we weren’t to be trusted; that we were to be feared and never meant to be approached.” Air glanced at Mary momentarily before refocusing his attention on Esther. “How unfortunate that she never listened to you.”

Esther inhaled sharply and backed away from Air. She shot a glare at Mary, who could clearly see the hatred burning in her eyes.

“And she will regret it,” the girl declared before turning around and storming off back the way she came.

Air silently watched as Esther disappeared before giving a loud sigh and turning toward the car.

“I apologize for that, Papa,” the Ghoul said, giving a bow to the man in the backseat.

“No need,” Emeritus replied, waving his hand.

But even with Papa’s response, Air still appeared to feel guilty. “It’s just that… she interrupted us, and I had suddenly felt that it was necessary to use my powers…”

“You did what you had to do, Air,” Papa said. “You may have scarred her mentally, but the important thing is that you did not physically harm her.” He then turned his head to look back at Mary. “Now, Ghuleh, just how long exactly do you plan on making me wait for your answer?”

Mary jumped slightly, startled when Papa addressed her. “I…” She then took a breath to calm down, and stared directly at the dark silhouette in the window. “Yes, I still wish to provide my assistance,” she declared. The girl then gave a small bow. “Please, Papa, let me help you, the Ghouls, and the rest of the clergy to the best of my ability.”

Emeritus nodded, then motioned for Air to move with his hand. Immediately, the Ghoul walked over to the car and opened one of the doors in the second row - the one in front of the row Papa was seated in.

Mary smiled. “...Thank you, Papa,” she said, glancing once more at the silhouette. “It’s an honor for someone so lowly as me to be selected by the clergy.”

“Lowly?” Papa asked, chuckling. “I dare to say otherwise.” The man then leaned back in his seat and smiled. “Besides, with how your sister has been treating you lately, I have a feeling that you’re going to enjoy this job a lot more than your previous one.”

Mary nodded her head and got into the car, fighting the urge to look at the row behind her as she sat down with Air shutting the door behind her. After making herself comfortable and buckling herself in, she suddenly noticed that there was another Ghoul already in the car next to her. He looked exactly the same as Air, but not as tall.

“Alpha.”

Mary watched as the Ghoul turned to look at Papa after being addressed. She heard Emeritus continue to talk. “Do you have the Consomnio?” he asked.

Mary’s smile faded as she watched the Ghoul nod his head in reply, nervousness suddenly returning. What was Consomnio?

“Good,” Papa said. He then gestured towards Mary with one hand. “Go ahead.”

The Ghoul suddenly moved towards her, and Mary had no time to react before he roughly grabbed her. She yelped in surprise and tried to make him let go, but he kept a tight grip on her and firmly pressed a cloth against her nose and mouth. Immediately, a strong, sickly-sweet smell flooded her nose, and the girl could almost feel the scent traveling up to her brain. Her cries were muffled by the cloth, and she continued to squirm in her seat, stopping only when she suddenly heard Emeritus whisper to her.

“Shh. Relax, Ghuleh,” he said. “Just breathe. Everything will be alright.”

Mary felt her eyelids growing heavier as the moments passed by. She struggled to keep them open, but to no avail.

The last thing she heard before her eyes completely closed was Papa saying to her “You have to trust us, remember?”

***

It had only seemed like a few minutes before Mary suddenly became aware of muffled voices around her. She felt strong arms pick her up and hold her like she was a delicate object. She tried to move her body, but for some reason, she couldn’t move a single muscle. Not only that, but she hurt all over.

She cracked her eyes open, immediately wincing from the agonizing, stinging pain that she felt around them upon doing so. Her vision was extremely blurry, but she could sort-of make out what appeared to be the remains of a demolished building around her, and she thought she could smell smoke.

“Nonono, close your eyes,” whispered a voice.

Mary opened her mouth to speak, but realized that her throat was extremely dry, making it difficult to make words come out of her mouth. “P....Pa...pa…?” she croaked.

“I’m right here,” he whispered. “It’s alright. You’re safe from them now.”

She felt Emeritus carry her over somewhere and lay her down. It felt like concrete. She tried to say something, but Papa spoke to her before she could get the chance.

“You’ll be safe here,” Papa said. She felt him gently stroke her cheek with one finger before he stood back up.

“I’ll come back for you, Kerstin,” he said. “I promise.”

Kerstin. That name again…


	3. Crimson Drops

The burning incense sent the smell of evergreen throughout the dimly lit room. Dressed in his flowing papal garments, Emeritus circled the altar once more, staring down at the girl who had been laid across it. Mary was now fully dressed in the costume he had requested for her - a black and crimson hooded robe, a small, plain, black masquerade mask that stopped at the tip of her nose, and, of course, the silver grucifix pendant.

The dark pope glanced momentarily at the foot of the stairs which led up to the altar, where the five Ghouls were kneeling and keeping their heads down, patiently awaiting his orders, with their familiars beside them. The only one who was staring back at him was Annali, her eyes twinkling like stars in the candlelight.

He reached out and moved a few strands of hair out of Mary’s face. The girl didn’t even so much as flinch, and her eyes remained closed, giving the impression that she was in a deep, peaceful sleep.

“I assume that you all know why we are here on this night,” Papa declared as he turned to face the Ghouls. The masked beings merely nodded their heads in reply, not one of them saying a word.

“We are here to welcome this girl as a new acolyte into our clergy,” he continued. “for even the youngest and purest of people can become seduced by sin.” Papa then raised an arm. “So now I ask of all of you: do you, my beloved Ghouls, swear right here right now, before our Dark Lord himself, that you will train her and teach her the ways of the dark arts? That you will shun her from the light and all that is deemed righteous and good?”

The Ghouls continued to remain motionless, but the moment that Papa finished speaking, they all suddenly began to speak in unison:

“I, a Nameless Ghoul, one who has sworn to disown my name and identity in exchange for a mask to hide myself, swear to do all that our Dark Lord demands of me, no matter how small the task at hand.”

Pleased, Papa turned back towards the altar and gently placed a gloved hand on Mary’s face. “May she learn to embrace the dark and all of its gifts through us.”

“Let it be done according to his will,” said the Ghouls, continuing to speak in unison.

“May she grow strong through our teachings, turning to no one but us in her times of need.”

“Let it be done according to his will,” the Ghouls repeated with the same, monotone voices as before.

Emeritus moved his hand down to her heart. “May her faith never waver, her devotion be ceaseless, her voice proclaim his word without shame.”

“Let it be done according to his will.”

After the Ghouls had spoken the phrase for the third time, Papa took his hand off of Mary and turned back towards the masked beings, once more raising his arm.

“Rise,” he commanded. The Ghouls all immediately obeyed and stood up.

“You have made your sacrifice to help her,” Papa said, lowering his arm. The dark pope then walked behind the altar and grabbed a silver knife with a bright red stone that was on a smaller nearby table next to six chalices that were filled with wine. “Now I present the sacrifice that she is to provide in return.”

Papa grabbed Mary’s left wrist with his other hand and positioned the knife at her palm. He slowly slid the blade across the skin, cutting it so that drops of blood began to drip out of the fresh wound. After placing the knife back where he had found it, the dark pope grabbed three of the chalices and placed them on the altar. Emeritus snatched Mary’s wrist once more and held it over one of the cups so that her blood dripped into it and mixed with the wine. He then proceeded to do the same with the other two chalices.

“Now, as some of you may already know, thanks to my predecessors…” Papa said, putting Mary’s arm back down after he had finished. “...this girl’s blood will have effects - some good, others a bit more undesirable - on whoever drinks it. Even a few drops can be rather potent.” His eyes scanned over the five Ghouls before him. “Therefore, I shall have the more experienced Ghouls come up first.” He motioned towards the altar with one hand. “Alpha, Water, Air. Step up to receive,” he commanded.

The three Ghouls that Papa had addressed made their way towards the altar with their hands clasped behind their backs. As they stopped in front of the altar, Papa glanced momentarily at the two Ghouls that he hadn’t called up. It was clear to him that the two Ghouls were nervous, as this was, after all, to be their first time experiencing the effects of the blood, and there would be no telling just what exactly it would to to them. But the dark pope quickly snapped his attention back to the three Ghouls in front of him, and handed each of them a chalice.

“Her body is the vessel from which her lifeblood pours,” Papa declared after giving the three Ghouls their cups of wine. “Drink so that you may feel the power which flows through her veins.” Ever obedient, the three Ghouls tilted up their masks and put the chalices to their lips, drinking the mixture of wine and blood without any second thoughts.

Alpha was the first to finish, slamming his chalice down on the altar while panting heavily with a triumphant grin on his face. Water followed soon after, but groaned loudly and tightly gripped the edge of the altar with both hands after putting down his cup.

“Are you alright, Water?” Papa asked, concern showing on his face.

“I-I'm okay,” the Ghoul answered, his body shaking as he leaned forward. “It's just… stronger than I remembered…” After a moment, he finally stopped trembling and sighed as he straightened himself again.

Emeritus smiled. “Good work, both of you,” he said nodding his head in approval. The three of them then turned to focus to Air, who was still drinking from his own chalice; taking long intervals in between small sips.

Impatient, Alpha folded his arms across his chest, tapped his foot against the ground, and gave a sigh. Papa took notice of all of these actions and gave the Ghoul a look of disapproval.

“Fire, show some respect for your brother,” the dark pope scolded. “If he so chooses to take his time then let him take his time.” 

Alpha gave another sigh and did as he was told, doing his best to hide his frustration as he waited for Air to finish.

Eventually, Air did finish what was in his chalice, and he placed the cup down on the altar with a quiet sigh and a content smile. Emeritus smiled and applauded him, and the Ghoul smiled and gave a quick bow to show his thanks for the praise he was receiving.

“Well done, all of you!” Papa exclaimed, making eye contact with each of the three Ghouls. “I must say, that went much more smoothly than I had expected. Splendid!” He then looked at the two Ghouls he still hadn’t called up yet as Alpha, Air, and Water handed him back their chalices and returned to their places at the foot of the stairs. They still appeared to be nervous, and as Papa prepared the next two chalices for them, he began to feel worried, yet he managed to keep his serious facade. If the blood had an effect on Water, despite his experience, then there was no telling what it would do to the ones who had never had a taste of it before. He hesitated momentarily before motioning towards the altar once more.

“Earth, Mist. Step up to receive.”

The two Ghouls immediately stood at attention after being called, then proceeded for the altar. 

The only female Ghoul of the bunch, Mist made her way towards the altar with a confident stride while Earth, the shortest of the male Ghouls, shuffled forward timidly.

“Her body is the vessel from which her lifeblood pours,” Papa repeated, handing the Ghouls their chalices. “Drink so that you may feel the power which flows through her veins.”

The two Ghouls obediently tilted up their masks and drank from their cups. As they guzzled down the mixture of blood and wine, Papa and the other Ghouls all held their breath as they waited to see what would happen to Earth and Mist.

Suddenly, just as Earth was about to finish, he abruptly dropped his chalice, sending the goblet clattering onto the ground as he crumpled to the floor, groaning while clutching his stomach.

Air’s eyes widened with shock, and he started running towards Earth before Papa suddenly held up his hand, stopping him in his tracks.

“Wait, Air,” the dark pope commanded. “Let us see if-” He was abruptly interrupted when Mist suddenly cried out in pain and fell to the floor as well, dropping her own chalice as well.

Papa’s eyes went wide as they darted back and forth between the two suffering Ghouls. “Hang on, you two,” he whispered, doing his best to keep his serene nature. “Everything will be alright. Just hold out a little longer.”

Eventually, both Earth and Mist ceased their cries and attempted to catch their breath as they both tried to stand back up. Emeritus gave a sigh of relief, but still remained cautious as he carefully watched the Ghouls. “Are you two alright?” he asked.

Neither of them said a word in response, but after a moment of silence Earth suddenly leaned forward and slammed both hands on the altar. This startled Papa, but he made no attempt to move away or towards him. “...Earth?”

Earth attempted to speak, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to form actual, logical words; producing guttural, throaty sounds as his body tensed up and his eyes squeezed shut.

Then, without warning, both Earth and Mist lunged forward, almost snarling while swiping at Papa with their hands. The dark pope instinctively took a step back and held up both hands, holding the Ghouls in place. The look in their eyes was almost animalistic as they thrashed against their invisible bonds, growling and yelling. A moment passed before he suddenly realized that Earth and Mist weren't actually aiming for him. They were trying to reach for Mary’s left arm.

Papa’s hands shook as he desperately tried to keep the two Ghouls at bay, and he looked at Alpha, Water, and Air. “Don't just stand there!” he yelled. “Do something! You know I can’t use this power of mine on multiple persons at once for very long!” With a grunt, he moved his arms forward in a shoving motion, causing Earth and Mist to stumble backwards. Immediately, Air rushed over and grabbed hold of Earth’s arms while Water and Alpha did the same to Mist.

Air held onto Earth as if for dear life as the small Ghoul flailed in his grasp, gasping and whining.

“A-Air...please!” Earth begged, finally able to form words again. “L-let go...I-!” He lunged forward again, but Air held on and dragged him back. “I need it…!”

“No, you don't,” Air grunted as he struggled to keep Earth under control. “You don't need any more of that blood. You can't-” He staggered when Earth abruptly yanked an arm out of his grasp and freed himself by tugging Air’s other arm away. Air gasped when the smaller Ghoul gripped the fabric of his suit and lifted him off the floor with ease before slamming him into the ground; the force of the impact causing the wind to get knocked out of him. The Ghoul blinked rapidly as he attempted to recover, then reached out and grabbed Earth’s ankle just as the smaller Ghoul began to run off towards the altar, causing him to fall to the ground beside him. Air’s arms trembled as he struggled to get back up off the floor, keeping his eyes locked on Earth.

At that same moment, Mist tore away from Water and Alpha, beat the two of them down with her fists, and dashed towards the altar. Papa took notice of this and waved his hands in her direction, stopping her in her tracks.

“Let go of me, Papa!” Mist yelled, her voice a mixture of desperation and anger as she struggled to move her legs.

“I cannot, Mist,” Emeritus replied, shaking his head.

The female Ghoul snarled and moved her left arm so that her hand was out of the light emitting from the candle. Immediately, the shadows rippled and collected in Mist’s hand until they took the shape of a small, sharp object. Bringing her arm back towards her, she revealed an elegant dagger with a dark purple and black hilt. “I’ll gut you!” she threatened, pointing the blade at Emeritus. But despite the threat, Papa refused to back down. Mist’s eyes narrowed, and she hesitated momentarily before throwing the dagger in his direction.

Papa quickly avoided the knife, but his eyes widened when he heard the dull “thud” as it hit something behind him. He quickly turned to look towards the altar. The dagger was lodged in the table, and the blade had grazed Mary’s cheek. Blood was beginning to dribble down the girl’s pale skin.

“Mist, you imbecile!” Papa yelled, rushing over towards Mary. He removed the knife and dropped it onto the floor, where it turned into a cloud of purple smoke and ultimately faded away. “You could’ve killed-!” The dark pope abruptly stopped talking as the sickly sweet smell of Mary’s blood hit him, and he staggered backwards, groaning as he covered his nose and mouth, nearly bumping into the smaller table and spilling the last chalice as his back hit the wall. Trembling, he fell to the floor, shutting his eyes tightly.

“You see, Papa, I figured that if Earth and I couldn’t handle the smell of the blood,” Mist said, sneering as she drifted towards Emeritus. “then neither would you. After all…” She stopped directly in front of the dark pope. “...this is your first time having a taste of it as well.” The Ghoul raised her arms, and the shadows above her began to move towards her hands. “You know, I’ve never seen you this helpless before, Papa. I wonder-” But that was as far as Mist got before she gasped and her entire body suddenly stiffened before she collapsed onto the floor; the shadows immediately ceasing their movements.

Emeritus cautiously opened his eyes as he got back up, leaning against the wall for support. Air carefully helped Earth off the floor, while Water and Alpha got back up on their own, wincing from their aching injuries.

He walked over to Mist and bent down, helping her back up. As the Ghoul raised her head to look at him, he could see that there was no longer a threatening, murderous look in her eyes.

“F-forgive me, Papa!” she pleaded, gripping the dark pope’s chasuble with both hands. “I-... I didn’t-”

“I know, Mist. I know,” Emeritus replied, patting her on the shoulder. “Don’t fret. I know it wasn’t your fault. The blood made you do this, but it’s over now.”

Mist nodded, released her grip on Papa’s garments, and proceeded to head back down the stairs, but Emeritus swiftly reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping the Ghoul in her tracks. “Did I give you permission to leave?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mist immediately got the hint and turned back towards Emeritus as he pulled away from her and grabbed the final chalice from off the table. After allowing some of Mary’s blood to drip into the cup, he picked up the cup and turned to look at Mist, meeting her eyes. “Mist, as soon as I finish drinking this, I will need you to use your powers on me.”

Mist blinked, her eyes showing a mixture of surprise and confusion. “B-but-” She started to speak, but Papa held up a hand to silence her.

“After witnessing what the blood made you and Earth do to me and your brothers, there's no telling what it will make me do. I will need you to ensure that I’m kept under control while under it’s influence by any means necessary.” The dark pope then turned to look at the other four Ghouls at the bottom of the stairs. “That goes for all of you as well,” he declared.

The Ghouls all nodded their heads in acknowledgement, then held their breaths as Papa proceeded to drink what was in his cup. At that same moment, Mist raised her arms, and the shadows collected in her hands once more.

The instant the cool liquid hit his tongue, Emeritus could feel newfound adrenaline begin to rush through his body. He savored the sweet taste, taking his time to finish what was in his chalice. He could feel his mind growing numb, but he didn't care. The only things he could think about as he put down his cup were the sweetness of the wine and blood, and the power which he could feel flowing through him.

A loud “thwack” suddenly echoed through the room, and Papa felt something wrap and tighten around his right arm. He turned and saw that Mist was now holding a whip and was using it to pull him away from the altar.

At that moment, it was as if a switch had flipped in Papa’s mind, and a wicked grin spread across his face as he extended his left hand towards her. “Really, Mist?” he asked. The dark pope waved his hand, and Mist was suddenly being helplessly tossed around, stumbling in every direction he sent her. “Is that the best you could do?!” The instant he annunciated the last syllable, he made a sharp movement to the right with his hand, sending the Ghoul straight into the wall. Upon impact, she dropped the whip, causing it to turn into a cloud of purple smoke and disappear.

Out of the corner of his eye, Papa saw Alpha and Air run up the steps towards him. He turned and waved his arms in their direction. Alpha cried out as he immediately stumbled back down the steps, where Water caught him and fell down as well, but Air had mysteriously disappeared in the blink of an eye. The feeling of strong arms grabbing hold of his own told Papa where he had gone, and he immediately tried to pull away from the Ghoul. But Air held on with all his might.

Air turned his head back towards the stairs. “Earth! Help!” he yelled, grabbing Papa’s left wrist before the dark pope could attempt to use his powers again.

The smaller Ghoul immediately nodded his head in acknowledgement and hurried up the steps to join his brother just as Water and Alpha got back up and hurried over to Mist. He ran until he was standing directly in front of Papa, then knelt down and slammed both of his hands against the black tile on the floor. Everyone momentarily lost their balance as the entire room seemed to shake briefly before it abruptly ceased trembling as soon as it had started. Earth then raised his hands, and Air released his hold on Papa as black vines sprouted out of the ground and snatched the dark pope’s wrists.

Emeritus fought against his restraints as the vines pulled him down towards the floor. With a yell, he sharply jerked his right arm, pulling Earth so that he collided with the wall. The impact caused the vines to loosen their hold, and Papa was able to free one arm only to have Air grab him again.

As Earth hit the wall, his arm accidentally knocked against a large candleholder, causing the candle to fall towards Water and Mist. Alpha immediately noticed this and hurried until he was standing in front of the two Ghouls with his arms outstretched to protect them. But despite taking a direct hit from the flame, the Ghoul, nor the suit which he was wearing, did not catch fire. The candle clattered onto the floor and went out.

Alpha then lowered his arms and turned, shooting a glared at Water as Mist rushed over to check on Earth. Air was still struggling to control Papa.

“Um, you’re welcome, brother!” he said, clearly irritated with Water. “And why have you just been standing here doing nothing?! We kind of need your help!”

Water took a step back, frightened by Alpha’s piercing stare. “I-I want to,” he stammered. “B-but I need my element to-”

“You don’t need your element right now!” Alpha declared, grabbing Water’s shoulders and shaking him. “Just go grab something and help us!”

Water nodded his head and dashed off while Alpha ran towards Papa to help Air. But before Alpha could get very far, Emeritus pounded his elbow into Air’s stomach, knocking the Ghoul down and freeing himself. He tore away from the other vine, then waved his arms, causing Alpha’s hand to reach out and grab the silver ritual knife from off the altar. 

Alpha’s eyes widened as Papa continued to manipulate the movements of his arm, making him swing the knife at Mist and Earth. Mist covered Earth as she backed away from Alpha, doing her best to protect her brother. At one point, she turned her head and gave Emeritus a pleading stare.

“Papa, please!” she cried. “You have to stop! Snap out of it!”

But Papa only continued to control Alpha as he met Mist’s eyes. “But my dear, you and Earth tried to harm me earlier,” he said, a grin spreading across his face once more. “I do believe that’s against the rules, and disobedient Ghouls must…” He made Alpha swing the knife, narrowly missing Mist’s arm as she dodged. “...be…” Another swing, this time just inches from her stomach. “...punished.” The blade almost cut her neck, but Mist fortunately dodged the attack in time.

Emeritus made Alpha swing the blade at the two Ghouls before a dull “clunk” was heard, and the dark pope suddenly ceased his movements and crumpled onto the floor, letting Alpha finally have complete control over his arm and drop the knife. The other Ghouls all turned to see Water breathing heavily and holding the thurible that had been burning the incense earlier.

“About time, Water,” Alpha said, picking the knife up off the floor and putting it back on the altar. “Couldn’t you have been a little quicker? I almost hacked our sister into bits!”

“Leave him be, Alpha,” Air said, getting up off the floor. “The important thing is that, despite his small contribution, he provided his assistance.”

The Ghouls’ attention snapped back to Emeritus when they noticed him beginning to move again.

“G-...Ghouls…” he groaned.

The five masked beings all stepped back and held their breaths as Papa stood back up, unsure if what Water had done had reverted their leader back to normal.

Emeritus sighed and rubbed the back of his head. “...Remind me to take some Remedium after this is all over because, unholy Lucifer, that…” He turned to Water and laughed, smiling slightly. “...really fucking hurt.”

All of the Ghouls breathed sighs of relief, thankful that the effects of the blood had finally worn off. Together, they led their leader back to the altar.

“Shall we commence the next part of the ritual, Papa?” Air asked, taking the thurible away from Water.

Emeritus met the Ghoul’s eyes and smiled. “Yes, that sounds like a splendid idea. Låt oss fortsätta.”

The dark pope grabbed the ritual knife and chalice and placed it back on the small table behind him. But when he turned back towards the altar and looked down at Mary, his smile disappeared and his eyes widened.

“A-Alpha, get the Consomnio!” he commanded. “Quickly! She still can’t be awake yet!”

The Fire Ghoul obeyed with haste and quickly returned with the requested drug. He pressed the cloth against Mary’s nose and mouth, and the girl’s eyes closed just as they began to open.


	4. Cadence

“Now then, stand around the altar in a circle.”

Water, Alpha, and Air immediately obeyed Emeritus’ next command, but Earth hesitated, shooting a confused look towards Mist. The female Ghoul met his eyes, then shrugged and followed the others. Earth watched her for a moment before finally deciding to follow her. He made his way towards the altar, taking his place between Air and Water.

After all five Ghouls had finally taken their places, Papa gestured towards Mary with one hand. “She is surrounded by darkness, but is in need of a guide to lead her through it,” he said. “Reach out your hand so that she knows that you’re there for her.”

Earth watched as his brothers and sister all closed their eyes and extended an arm towards Mary’s body, and his confusion grew.

Papa noticed that Earth hadn’t extended his arm and turned to face the small Ghoul. “Is something wrong, Earth?” he asked, concern showing on his face.

Earth flinched, startled when Papa addressed him.

“W-well, no, it’s just that…” He glanced at Air and Water before meeting the dark pope’s eyes again. “What… what exactly are we doing?”

Emeritus smiled and once more gestured towards Mary. “We’re waiting to see who among you five Ms. Cantwell will choose to be her escort.”

Earth blinked. “Escort?” he repeated, still confused.

Papa looked back down at Mary and gently wiped away the drops of blood still spilling down her cheek with his thumb. “A bodyguard of sorts. After all, she’ll need someone to protect her and show her the ropes to prepare her for the times ahead of us.”

The Ghoul fidgeted, worried that what he was going to say next would caused him to get scolded. “...W-why can’t you do it?” he asked timidly, averting his eyes. “You know her best, right? Surely she would find it easier to trust you rather than one of us.”

Papa sighed and shook his head. “As much as I’d like to, my current number of duties is already too great. Therefore I must give the task to one of you.” A smile then appeared on his face. “Besides, Earth, I do believe that she’d find it easy to trust you once she finds out who you-”

“Can we please move along?” Alpha groused, glancing at Papa with a look of impatience. “She’s going to wake up if we don’t hurry.”

Papa shot a glare at Alpha. “I don’t like your tone, Fire,” he scolded, turning to face him. “If you cannot learn to hold your tongue, then I will most certainly have you punished. Do I make myself clear?”

The Fire Ghoul sighed and nodded his head in response before closing his eyes once more.

Emeritus turned back to face Earth once more, and gestured towards the altar. “Your brother is right though, Earth,” he declared. “We do need to hurry. Please, join your brothers and sister.”

The dark pope watched as Earth closed his eyes and extended an arm out towards Mary. Papa then knelt down, leaned forward, and whispered into the girl’s ear.

“Ghuleh…”

To Papa and the Ghouls, Mary remained motionless with her eyes completely closed, but to Mary she was able to slowly opened her eyes, stand up, and look around only to find herself surrounded by an inky blackness.

“Can you hear me, Ghuleh?”

Mary rubbed her eyes to dispel the drowsiness from them. “Y-yes, Papa!” she called out. But to Emeritus, her response was quiet and barely above a whisper.

Papa smiled and reached out, gently grabbing hold of her hand. “Look around and tell me: what do you see? Don’t leave out any details. Describe everything.”

Mary obeyed Papa’s command and looked around at her surroundings. “I… can’t really see that much of anything… it’s pitch dark…”

“Look harder.”

Mary squinted in the darkness. “Still dark…” She remained silent as she continued looking around, when something a short distance away caught her eye. “Wait, I think I see a light…”

Papa nodded his head, pleased that Mary had finally spotted something. “Where’s the light coming from?” he asked.

Mary’s eyes traveled upward. “It’s coming from the ceiling,” she answered. “Almost like a spotlight.” Her eyes moved downward again as she looked to see if the light was shining on anything. “I think I can see some objects being illuminated by the light.”

“Good. Walk over there”

The girl immediately obeyed and strolled over towards the light, allowing her eyes to adjust to the brightness after finally arriving.

“Are you there?” Papa asked.

“Yes.”

“Tell me, what are these “objects” that you saw earlier?”

Mary’s eyes scanned over the items that were now in front of her. “They’re… pedestals,” she answered. “Stone ones.” She took a step closer, continuing to observe the short pillars. “There’s a symbol on each one. All but one of the symbols are triangular. I think the one in the middle looks like a “q” of sorts…”

“Are there objects on top of these pedestals?” Emeritus asked.

Mary glanced at where Papa was referring to. “Yes, there’s one object per pillar. Each one is different.”

Papa smiled. “Go ahead at take one,” he whispered in an encouraging voice.

“One?” Mary asked. “But which one?”

“That is for you to decide, Ghuleh, not me. Take whichever one your mind tells you to.” The dark pope brushed the girl’s bangs out of her eyes. “As soon as you’ve chosen one, take it and head out the red door to your left.”

Mary momentarily glanced to her left, and saw that there really was, in fact, a bright red door with black door handles some distance away. 

“Okay…” she murmured. She then turned back towards the five pillars, and her eyes fell upon the second pedestal, which had a simple, upright triangle engraved on it. Walking over towards it, she saw that there was a small, lit candle that had been placed upon it. Immediately, she found herself entranced by the tiny, glimmering flame, and she slowly reached out her hands to grab it. After taking the candle off the pedestal, she slowly turned to avoid letting the flame go out and proceeded to walk towards the door. But before she could even take her first step, the flame of the candle abruptly grew in intensity and size until it was practically inches from burning her face. This frightened Mary, and as she yelped in surprise she dropped the candle, where it hit the floor and went out, breaking into small chunks of wax.

After recovering from the shock of what had just happened, Mary turned back towards the pillars and walked over towards the one in the middle. There, she saw a perfect, beautiful snowflake that was as big as her palm. She picked up the snowflake and held it in her left hand, smiling as she admired its shape and the intricate patterns. But she wasn’t able to do this for long, as the snowflake suddenly began to melt in her hand, and she was powerless to stop it until it was nothing but a tiny puddle of water collecting in her palm.

Disappointed, she wiped her hand on her shirt and reached for the object on the pedestal with the upside down triangle. It was a small, bright, glittering red stone. As she held it, Mary felt a sense of safety and confidence, and she closed her eyes momentarily to embrace this new feeling. After opening them once more, she turned and headed towards the red door. But just as she was reaching for the door handle, these feelings suddenly went away. She stopped and turned back towards the other pedestals. Had that not been the right one? Mary glanced back down towards her right hand, and her eyes widened when she realized that she was no longer holding the stone. Had she dropped it without realizing it? She looked down at her feet and the area near the pedestals, but she couldn’t see it, almost as if the stone had been swallowed up by the shadows around her.

With a sigh, Mary trudged back towards the remaining two pillars, and she walked over to the rightmost one, which had an upright triangle with a horizontal line going through it. She picked up the object that was laying on top of it, and saw that it was a white feather that was speckled with grey dots. It was large, pristine and perfect in every way.

Out of nowhere, a strong wind hit Mary, causing her to stumble backwards. She lost her grip on the feather, and it flew out of her hand. “No no no!” she yelled, beginning to chase after it. She ran as fast as she could, but quickly came to a halt as she watched the feather become swallowed by the shadows around her.

She stood there for a moment, staring into the pitch black void before slowly turning back around towards the pedestals. There was still one object left. Walking over towards the second to last pedestal, which had an upside down triangle with a line going through it, she picked up the object that was on top of it and observed it. It was a flower pot filled with soil.

There didn’t appear to be anything special about the flower pot. To Mary, it looked rather ordinary; like every other flower pot that she had seen before. She looked into the pot, but didn’t see any flower or plant growing out of the soil. Confusion was now filling her mind. If this flower pot was so ordinary…

… Why did she feel like it was the right object to take?

Her train of thought was abruptly cut off when she suddenly felt the ground under her feet begin to tremble. She clutched the flower pot and held it close to prevent herself from dropping it, closing her eyes as the tremors continued. She heard the pillars topple over like dominoes; the one with the upright triangle breaking into pieces as it hit the floor.

Mary opened her eyes only after the ground finally stopped shaking. She looked down at the flower pot in her hands, and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that it was still in her arms and had remained completely undamaged.

She slowly stood up and made her way over to the red door, which was still standing. After placing her hand on the black door handle, she glanced once more at the flower pot and saw that nothing had changed about it.

Her mind still telling her that this was the right object, Mary gripped the door handle, opened the door, and stepped through, closing it behind her. Looking around, she found herself surrounded by even more inky blackness. She could see nothing different about this new room compared to the one she had just been in.

Mary flinched, nearly dropping the flower pot, when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She was about to scream, but a voice stopped her before she could even open her mouth.

“It’s okay, it's okay,” it said, speaking in a quiet voice. “Don't be afraid. I'm one of the Ghouls.”

Mary blinked a few times before turning around to face the Ghoul behind her. When her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she expected to see another masked figure towering over her. However, this Ghoul was only just a few centimeters taller than her. She tried to say something, but no sound came out of her mouth.

“...I-It's a pleasure to finally get to meet you, Ms. Cantwell,” the Ghoul said, stuttering momentarily. To Mary, he seemed slightly unsettled for some reason. She watched as he placed a shaking hand on his chest. “I-I'm Earth.”

Mary stared at the Ghoul momentarily before finally attempting to speak. “...Are you alright?” she asked. “You seem kinda scared.”

“Just nervousness. I-I'll be fine.” Earth chuckled, then glanced down at the flower pot that Mary had her arm wrapped around before meeting her eyes again. “My fire element brother, Alpha, often makes fun of my timidity,” he said, waving one hand as he spoke. “but I don't let him bother me.” He lowered his hand. “You nervous about what you're going to have to do for the Papa?” he asked.

Mary thought for a moment in silence, then sighed. “I… guess I'm kind of worried that I won't be useful enough. I mean… I'm just a seventeen year old girl who's done nothing but help her older sister run a music store.” She paused momentarily and averted her eyes. “I’m worried that I might mess up, and that-”

“Don’t be.”

The reassurance in Earth’s voice surprised Mary, and she once more made eye contact with the Ghoul. He reached a hand out towards her, and placed it on her shoulder.

“You shouldn’t waste your time here worrying about whether or not you will be able to accomplish something perfectly on your first try,” Earth said, speaking in a calm, hushed tone. “This will most definitely be a difficult thing for you, but if one small seed can grow into a flower, with the right conditions…” He turned his head towards the flower pot Mary was holding. 

The young girl followed his gaze, and when her eyes fell upon the pot she gasped. There was now a beautiful bluish-purple carnation that had emerged from the soil. 

“...then you can most certainly be trained to become perfect at what you must do.”

Earth turned to look back at her, smiling at Mary underneath his mask. He then took his hand off of her shoulder and grabbed the girl’s free hand. “There’s just one last thing we need to know, Ms. Cantwell,” he said, seriousness suddenly returning to his voice.

“...Yes?” Mary asked.

“Are you willing to give up your name in exchange for another, just like us Ghouls?”

***

“Y-...Yes…”

Emeritus smiled upon hearing Mary whisper her answer out loud, and he stood back up just as Earth finally opened his eyes, lowered his arm, and stepped away from the altar. The other Ghouls had already stepped away from the altar and we're eagerly waiting for what was to happen next. Now that Mary had chosen her escort, there was just one last step to take to complete the ritual.

“Well, Papa?” Earth asked, clasping his hands behind his back. “Only you can give her her new name. What will it be?”

Papa glanced at Earth momentarily, then reached down and adjusted the grucifix pendant Mary was wearing.

“The blessings of our Dark Lord are with her,” the dark pope declared. “He has given her many gifts, but this one I give to her.” He glanced at her sleeping face before raising his head to look at the Ghouls before him. He raised one arm.

“Let us welcome our newest acolyte. She is to no longer be called ‘Mary’, but rather ‘Cadence’.”

Earth repeated the name under his breath. Cadence. The small Ghoul smiled underneath his mask. 

Cadence. 

He liked it.


	5. Sigils and Familiars

Cadence slowly opened her eyes as the Consomnio began to wear off. Her vision was extremely blurry, and although she could hear voices, she couldn’t make out what they were saying.

When her surroundings were no longer fuzzy, she glanced around, first noticing the large grucifix hanging on the red wall to her right. Cadence turned her head as she sat up, nearly falling off the altar after finally noticing the Ghouls all staring back at her. She glanced at each of the five masked beings and attempted to speak, but no sound left her mouth. 

The girl then looked down at herself and noticed the black and red robe she was now wearing. One hand reached up and felt the mask on her face while she turned her left hand over and examined the bleeding cut.

“Wh...what…?” she asked out loud, finally able to form words. “H-how…?”

“Relax, Ghuleh. We’ll explain everything.”

Hearing Papa’s voice, Cadence’s head turned towards the sound, but she only saw a dark silhouette hidden in the shadows next to the recently put-out candles. The figure waved its hand, and Mary’s head was turned back to its original position. “Did I give you permission?” the dark pope asked, a slight hint of annoyance present in his voice.

Cadence hung her head in shame. “N-no, Papa,” she murmured.

Emeritus stared at her for a moment before shifting his attention to one of the Ghouls. “Air, go help Cadence off of the altar,” he commanded.

Cadence lifted her head again and looked at Air as the Ghoul walked over towards her. “...Cadence?” she asked, confusion showing on her face. “Who’s Cadence?”

“You are,” Air replied, helping her to the floor.

Cadence blinked. “B-but I’m Mary!” she said after her feet touched the ground and Air walked back to join the other Ghouls once more.

“Not anymore,” Papa declared, shaking his head. “Starting right here right now, you are Cadence, our newest acolyte.”

Cadence’s eyes widened. “...Acolyte?” she repeated. “So… I’m a member of the clergy?”

Alpha scoffed and rolled his eyes. “No, you’re on Meliora garbage du- Ow!” The Fire Ghoul was abruptly cut off when Water elbowed his side. Papa shot an annoyed glare in the Ghoul’s direction, and Alpha quickly regained his composure.

Cadence stood in silence for a moment before she leaned against the altar and held up a hand. “O-okay, just… just give me a minute to process all of this…” she said.

“I’m afraid we can’t,” Emeritus stated, removing his mitre. He placed it on the altar as he walked over towards her. The girl instinctively turned her head to look away upon hearing the sound of his footsteps coming closer and closed her eyes. “We have a lot to accomplish, and not much time left to do so.”

Papa stopped in front of Cadence and looked down at her. “I’m sorry, Ghuleh,” he sighed, reaching out and gently gripping her chin. “I know you’re scared and confused, and I know you want answers, but you’re going to have to wait for me to give them to you.” He turned her head and tilted it upward so that it was facing towards him.

The dark pope stared at Cadence in silence, allowing his eyes to roam as he admired the girl’s masked face. He observed her pale skin, her petite nose, and the parted lips he had passionately kissed nights ago, before stopping at her closed eyes.

Earth and Air had both told him about how beautiful the purple shade of her irises were, but their words alone were not enough for him. He longed to see their vivid color for himself, without anything obscuring them from his sight.

Papa smiled. “...But I can give you something else right now,” he added. “Something that you’ve wanted from me for a long time.”

Cadence gave a barely audible gasp. “You… you mean…” A smile was now beginning to appear on her face. “Y-you’re giving me…”

Emeritus’ smile widened. “Yes, I am,” he answered. He let go of Cadence’s chin and parted her bangs, lightly pressing his thumb against her exposed forehead. He slowly traced the grucifix symbol on her skin as he spoke.

“You who have shut your eyes when graced by my presence, may they stay closed no more. Look upon me now, your leader, your teacher...” He leaned forward, placed a kiss on her lips, and lowered his voice to a whisper. “...your object of desire.” The dark pope then took a step back and anxiously waited for Cadence to obey his command.

The girl hesitated at first, wondering momentarily if she had really heard him correctly. But after a moment, she slowly opened her eyes and gazed up at the man in front of her. Upon seeing him, her eyes widened; not out of fear but of awe. His entire face looked as if it was covered in some sort of paint or makeup. The color white covered most of his face, with the color black present around his eyes, cheeks, and the tip of his nose, giving him an almost skeletal-like appearance. On his head was a mop of neatly combed and slicked back black hair. But to Cadence, the most striking thing about Emeritus was his eyes - one a deep green and the other a ghostly white.

“Well, Ghuleh?” Papa asked. “What do you think of me, now that you’ve seen me?”

Cadence opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it, suddenly finding herself at a loss for words. 

“I-I…”

She tried to come up with something to say, but her mind only drew a blank.

Papa’s brow furrowed slightly. “...Are you frightened by my appearance?” he asked, lowering his voice a tad.

Immediately, Cadence shook her head in reply. “N-no, Papa,” she said.

Papa’s smile returned, and he walked towards Cadence once more. “That’s all I needed to hear,” he declared. The dark pope slowly wrapped one arm around her and looked down at Cadence with a caring gaze. “Thank you.”

Cadence smiled back up at him, but her smile quickly disappeared when she suddenly felt an intense burning sensation when Papa’s hand touched the back of her neck. She cried out and shut her eyes as she fell to the floor, shivering as the strange sensation quickly faded away.

Before Papa could react, Earth immediately hurried over to Cadence and helped her back up.

“You okay?” the Ghoul asked, worry showing in his eyes.

“I… I don’t know…” Cadence replied, leaning onto Earth for support. “That’s never happened before. I-”

The girl abruptly stopped talking when she suddenly heard what sounded like a bell. She looked towards the source of the sound and saw a small, fluffy tabby cat with a pyramid-shaped bell on its black collar coming towards them. The cat sat down in front of Earth, looked at him with its big green eyes, and meowed softly.

Earth chuckled and met the cat’s eyes. “Sorry, Dahlia. I don’t know if cuddles from you would be of much help right now,” he said. “I'm sure she appreciates your concern, though.”

Cadence’s eyes widened, and she quickly looked at Dahlia, then back at Earth. Was he that same customer from a week ago? The one who had come looking for the maple drumsticks?

The cat's ears drooped, but quickly perked back up again when Papa cleared his throat.

“I will handle this, Earth,” he said. “Please go back to your spot.”

The Ghoul immediately obeyed with haste and gave a quick bow before returning to his place between Air and Water. Dahlia watched him, but continued to remain where she was currently seated.

“You too, Dahlia.”

The tiny cat turned to look at Emeritus. She tilted her head to one side and stared at the dark pope for only a moment before she finally followed Earth and sat down beside him.

Papa turned back towards Cadence. “Where did you feel it?” he asked.

“My neck.”

“Let me see.”

The girl immediately obeyed and turned so that her back was facing Emeritus. The dark pope moved her hair out of the way so that he could look at the back of her neck. Once he did, he saw a purplish-black, upside down triangular symbol with one line going through the bottom and a smaller line located near the top. He immediately recognized it as the alchemy symbol for blood.

“...I see,” Papa said, raising his eyebrows. “So this is where it ended up…” He placed one finger on the mark and slowly ran the digit across it.

“W-where what ended up?” Cadence asked, wincing as she felt the odd burning sensation again despite Papa’s light touch.

“Your sigil,” he replied, taking his hand off her. “We all have one.” He turned Cadence around so that she was facing him again. “It allows us to sense where our familiars are, and the same vice versa.”

Cadence blinked. “...But I don’t have a familiar of my own,” she said. She then looked up at Emeritus and met his eyes. “Wait… do I?”

“Not yet,” Papa answered, shaking his head. He then reached out and removed Cadence’s grucifix pendant from around her neck. “But you will soon.” The dark pope grabbed hold of Cadence’s left hand, but quickly stopped when he noticed the slowly still-bleeding cut on her palm. He pressed his lips together into a thin line for a moment before glancing back at Cadence. “Have Earth get something to heal that for you after this, alright?” he said, letting go of Cadence’s left hand and grabbing hold of her right one. He placed the pendant into her hand. “Hold this.”

Cadence looked down at the pendant in her hand as Papa walked away from her to get something. The necklace was small, silver, and about the size of her whole hand. But as she stared at the upside down cross, she noticed something in the center of it - a tiny, glittering shard of a light purple stone had been put in the metal. She looked at the Ghouls and saw that none of their pendants had a piece of stone on them.

Papa returned with six small, red, unlit candles and placed them in a circle before her. After putting down the sixth candle, he stood up and gestured towards the ring with one hand. Alpha stepped forward, closed his eyes as he raised his arms, and waved them towards the circle of candles. Immediately, the tiny, flickering flames on the remaining lit candles throughout the room floated over to the six candles on the floor and settled onto the wicks, lighting them. Once this had been done, the Ghoul returned to his original spot.

Cadence stared at the candles momentarily before glancing at Papa; the light casting an eerie shadow on his painted face. “Okay… what am I supposed to do?” she asked.

“You are to close your eyes, kneel down in front of the candles, hold the pendant against your heart, and ask for your familiar to present itself to you,” Emeritus answered.

“...Do I need to say a certain phrase?”

Papa smiled and shook his head. “Just say whatever comes into your mind. It will show up regardless of what you say as long as you are asking for it to come to you.”

Cadence nodded her head. “Okay…” She then turned to face the ring of candles and knelt down, keeping her head lowered as she held the grucifix necklace against her chest. It was dead silent in the room as she pondered what exactly she was going to say. After a moment, she closed her eyes and mumbled under her breath.

“I... I don’t care what you look like. Just show yourself to me and promise to remain by my side.” She then opened her eyes and waited.

At first, nothing happened, and Cadence worried if she had said the right thing. But then, one of the candles suddenly went out, sending a small wisp of smoke into the air. Her eyes widened, and she started to say something, but Papa’s voice cut her off.

“Relax, Cadence,” he said. “This is supposed to happen.”

Another candle went out. Then a third. The fourth and fifth followed soon after, and when the sixth candle finally went out, the room became much darker, but not pitch black. The smoke which rose from the burnt wicks suddenly collected in the center of the circle. Everyone in the room watched as the smoke swirled in the ring for a few seconds before it dispersed and faded away.

Emeritus was the first to head over to the circle. He peered down into it, and after a moment his eyes widened slightly. But when he turned his head to look at Cadence, a smile had appeared on his face.

“Come here, Ghuleh,” he said. “You’re going to like this little guy.”

Putting her grucifix pendant back on, the young acolyte obeyed, walked over until she was standing right beside Papa, and looked into the circle with him. Immediately, her eyes widened and a wide grin appeared on her face as she gasped.

“It’s so cute!” she squealed.

Confusion showed on Alpha’s face underneath his mask. Cute? He watched as Cadence bent down and picked up a tiny ball of white, brown, and black fur, cradling it in her arms like a baby.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Alpha grumbled, speaking so that Papa wouldn’t hear him.

Earth glanced at Alpha, overhearing him. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “It's just a munchkin cat.”

“Exactly! The thing’s a freaking runt!”

Mist turned and raised her head to look at Alpha, folding her arms across her chest as she glared at the Ghoul who practically towered over her.

“I prefer the term ‘funsized’,” she said, looking a little irritated with the Fire Ghoul.

The calico kitten Cadence was holding slowly opened its eyes and groggily lifted its head to look up at her. After a moment, it raised one tiny white paw and placed it on her chin.

Cadence giggled. “Hi!” she whispered, petting the kitten's head with her thumb. The tiny cat closed its big blue eyes and purred softly. After petting the kitten a bit more she pulled her hand away and-

The kitten tapped her chin again with its tiny paw. “No! More head rubs!”

Cadence became startled when she suddenly heard a child-like voice in her head. She looked down at the munchkin in her arms, eyes wide. “Was that… Was that you?” she asked.

The kitten lowered its paw and nodded its head once.

Cadence looked over at Papa, amazed. The dark pope smiled back at her.

“You heard him talk?” he asked.

The young acolyte nodded her head in reply.

“Ask him his name.”

Cadence looked down at her familiar, who was staring at Emeritus. After a moment, it turned its head to look back at her.

“Who’s the creepy guy over there?” it asked, tilting its head in Papa’s direction.

Cadence giggled. “Papa? He’s not scary.”

“Looks pretty creepy to me.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.” Cadence rubbed the kitten’s head in small circles for a moment. “Trust me. He’s actually really nice.” The tiny cat stared at her in silence, possibly trying to believe her words. “So what’s your name?” Cadence asked.

The kitten blinked and remained silent for a moment before speaking.

“...Liam.”

“Liam.” Cadence repeated the name under her breath with a smile, then looked over at Papa. “He said it’s ‘Liam’.”

Emeritus nodded its head, then met Cadence’s eyes. “He is the first of our familiars that you will be able to communicate with,” he said. “Over time, you’ll be able to communicate with all of them, but you’ll have the strongest connection with Liam, since he is your own.” The dark pope then raised his arms and clapped twice.

“This concludes the ritual. You may now all head back to your rooms.”

One by one, the Ghouls turned and headed for the double doors which led to the main hallway, their familiars right by their side. Only Earth and Dahlia remained where they were standing.

“Cadence, go with Earth. You are to stay with him.”

Emeritus watched as Cadence, still carrying Liam in her arms, immediately obeyed his command and followed Earth and Dahlia as they hurried to catch up with the others. When the doors finally closed behind them, Annali made her way over to Papa.

“So it’s official now,” she said.

“Yes. I am proud of her.”

The siamese watched as Papa bent down and began to pick up the red candles from off the floor. “You don’t think that kitten she’s summoned will be a burden, do you?”

“Not at all,” Papa replied. “If rambunctious little Dahlia was able to become a loyal familiar through her training, then I have no doubt that Liam could too.” He stood up and carried the candles over to the altar.

“...Speaking of training,” Annali said. “When exactly does Cadence’s training start?”

Papa put the candles down and looked into his familiar’s mismatched eyes.

“When?” He grabbed his mitre and placed it back onto his head. “Oh no. That already started before we even brought her through those doors.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's my tumblr account! Follow me if you want! https://spiritsoul698.tumblr.com/


	6. Gone but Not Forgotten

The hallway was similar to the room in which the ritual had been held, just with a lot more candles and a few overhead lights illuminating the area so that it was easier to see. Except for the bell on Dahlia’s collar, it was completely silent as Cadence followed the Ghouls, carrying Liam in her arms.

Before long, they all stopped at a door with a large, upside down, pale blue triangle symbol painted onto it. Mist made her way over towards it, her familiar following her, and opened the door. Before stepping inside, however, she turned to look at Alpha.

“Hey, Alpha. Don’t forget we’re having that sparring match later,” she said, smiling underneath her mask.

The Fire Ghoul smiled and gave Mist a thumbs up. “Right. Gotcha. I’ll be there,” he said.

Mist nodded her head in acknowledgement, then turned to face Cadence as the other Ghouls continued on without her.

“I’m glad that you decided to join us, Cadence,” the female Ghoul said. “It’s nice to finally have another female acolyte inducted into the clergy.” She paused for a moment and stared at her before turning to head into the room. “I look forward to helping you with your training.”

Cadence watched as Mist closed the door before hurrying to catch up with the others. After she returned to being at Earth’s side, Air turned to look at her.

“It would be best if you stayed close to us, sister,” he said. “You could get lost fairly easily here if you don’t know the way.”

Cadence nodded. “O-okay,” she said.

Earth turned to look at Cadence as Air looked forward once more.

“He’s saying that because I got lost on my very first night here,” he said. He looked down at Dahlia and smiled. “Because of this lil’ rascal.” The Ghoul then stopped, bent down, and picked up the tiny tabby cat, petting her head as he continued walking. “Nothing but a cute ball of mischief.” After a moment, he stopped petting Dahlia, and the cat looked at Cadence and meowed.

Cadence glanced down at Dahlia before meeting Earth’s eyes again. “...What did she say?” she asked.

Earth smiled at her. “She says it’s nice to see you again.”

Dahlia meowed again.

“And she thinks your eyes are pretty.”

The cat gave a third meow, this time looking up at Earth.

“...And she wants tuna.” Earth chuckled and rubbed Dahlia’s head again. “Don’t worry, Dahlia. I’ll get you some later.”

“What about me?!”

Cadence looked down at Liam, who was looking at Earth. The calico kitten gave another meow. 

“I’m hungry too!”

Earth glanced at Liam for a moment. “What did he say?” he asked, looking back at Cadence.

Cadence blinked. “...You can’t understand him, yet?”

Earth shook his head. “He’s still a new familiar. It’ll take a while for the rest of us to be able to communicate with him, but not as long as it’ll take you to communicate with all of ours, since we have a bit more experience.”

Cadence nodded, understanding what Earth was telling her. “He said he’s also hungry,” she said.

“Then I’ll get him something as well once we get to my room.”

Cadence smiled, then looked down at Liam when he gave another meow. “He says ‘Thank you’,” she said, translating what her familiar had said for the Ghoul.

Earth nodded, and the two of them turned to face forward once again just as the group arrived at another door. This one had a simple, upright, red-orange triangle painted onto it. Cadence watched as Alpha talked to Water for a minute then headed towards the door as the group continued on. But no sooner had they all taken a couple steps, Cadence spoke up.

“...Hey, I have a question,” she said. 

“Ask away,” Water said, smiling underneath his mask.

Cadence hesitated before asking her question. “So… if there’s an Alpha Ghoul…” she said. “...is there also an Omega Ghoul?”

All of the Ghouls immediately stopped in their tracks and turned to look at her. Startled by the look in their eyes, the young acolyte cautiously took a step back.

Liam tilted his head and looked up at her. “I… don’t think you should’ve said that,” he said, speaking quietly even though Cadence was the only one who could understand him.

The Ghouls’ eyes lingered on Cadence for a moment longer before they all turned to look at each other, uncertainty present on their faces. After a moment of silence, Water turned to look back at her.

“W-well…” he said, speaking timidly. “...there used to…” He glanced over at Air before meeting Cadence’s eyes again. “...but-”

“But we don’t mention him anymore!”

Everyone turned to see that Alpha was still standing in the hall with them, his hand gripping the doorknob tightly even though he had already opened the door. His eyes, which burned like embers, showed a complex mix of emotions as he glared at Cadence.

“No one is to say a single word about him,” he declared, narrowing his eyes. He then turned to face his room. “It’s just… it’s better that way.” The Fire Ghoul hesitated for a moment before finally storming into his room, the bengal cat by his side shooting a glare at Cadence before following him inside. As Cadence watched them, she thought she saw a couple glowing embers blow past the doorway into the hall.

Everyone cringed when Alpha slammed the door so hard that the entire hallway seemed to shake for a moment from the loud noise. When the trembling finally seemed to stop, Cadence looked over at the three remaining Ghouls. “What… what was that about?” she asked.

Air closed his eyes and sighed as the group continued walking.

“Omega is… a bit of a sensitive topic around here,” he said, looking down at Cadence. “He and Alpha were very close for the longest time. Then…” The Ghoul paused and slowly took a breath. “...Then he started to distance himself from everyone, until one night he just… disappeared.”

“Disappeared?” Cadence repeated.

“Well… not literally. He sort of just left without telling any of us where he was going. He didn’t even tell Papa a single thing.” The Ghoul paused as Water left the group and entered his room. After Water closed the door, Air pointed at the mark on it, which was a dark blue ‘Q’-shaped symbol.

“That right there used to be Omega’s symbol. But when he left, Water was forced to take his place, and then we brought Mist in to take Water’s place. We thought it was just going to be a temporary change, but…” He sighed. “...it wasn’t.”

The Ghoul turned and headed down the hall. Cadence glanced at Earth for a moment before the two of them turned to follow him. 

“...There was one time we overheard he had come back. He had been gone for almost two months at that time. But when we all gathered in the sanctuary to welcome him back, he wasn’t there. All we saw when we got there was Papa with his back facing us. When we asked him what was going on, he turned around to face us and…” Air abruptly stopped walking and his voice trailed off. 

“...And?” Cadence asked, her voice now hushed.

Air remained silent and blinked rapidly a couple times before finishing his sentence.

“His face...it… There was the most distraught look on his face I had ever seen him make.”

Before long, the three of them arrived at a door with a gold, upside down triangle symbol that had a horizontal line going through it.

Earth put Dahlia down onto the floor.

“This is my room, Cadence,” he said, his cheerfulness dampened slightly. He walked over to the door and opened it, gesturing into the room. “C’mon. Let’s just get inside.”

But Cadence didn’t listen to Earth. She kept her gaze focused on Air and furrowed her brow. “What… happened?” she asked.

Air had his back facing her. “Papa didn’t say, but I do believe we all know what happened to Omega on that night,” he said. The Ghoul glanced over his shoulder to look Cadence in the eye.

“Papa banished him to another realm. For treason.”

Upon hearing Air’s answer, Cadence’s eyes widened slightly and, for some reason, a part of her felt extremely saddened. She felt as if she had known Omega, despite the fact that she could not recall any memory of actually meeting him.

Air turned his head to look in front of him as he walked down the hall. “Just… don’t mention him around Alpha or Papa, okay?” he sighed. “It’ll get them upset, and none of us want that.”

Cadence watched as Air walked farther down the hall then disappeared around a corner before she turned to face Earth. The two of them stared at each other, neither of them knowing whether or not the be the first to speak. Even their familiars were silent, staring up at them with worried and confused eyes.

“...I…” Cadence was the first to break the silence. “...I’m sorry I brought that up, Earth.” She turned her head to look down the path they had gone. “I-I didn’t mean to upset everyone… I just…”

Earth placed one hand on Cadence’s shoulder. “Don’t be,” he said. “It’s alright. You didn’t know.” 

Cadence turned to look back at Earth. “Were… were you and Omega close as well?” she asked, taking care to keep her voice at a hushed tone.

The Ghoul sighed and tilted his head down, digging the heel of his shoe into the carpeting on the floor. “Yeah,” he answered, nodding. “During the time before he left us, we were just starting to become really good friends.” He then lifted his head and gestured into the room again, attempting to smile underneath his mask. 

“...C’mon, let’s just try to forget about it.”

Cadence nodded and followed Earth into the room. Immediately upon entering, her eyes widened, and after putting Liam down the young acolyte stared in awe as she gaped at the sight before her. It was as if she had stepped into an entirely different world. The entire “room” resembled a giant garden; trees, bushes, flowering plants, and even a small, trickling stream underneath a vast, star-filled sky (although, if Cadence looked hard enough, she could actually make out the arches in the ceiling above her).

“...Did… did you do all of this?” she asked when she had finally found her words again.

Earth beamed with pride underneath his mask, and after closing the door he made his way over to Cadence and nodded his head in response. “...You like it?” he asked.

“It’s… it’s beautiful! I’ve never seen anything like it before!”

Earth gave a small bow. “Thank you.” He watched as Dahlia began to scamper around the large garden while Liam waddled over to the stream. “Each of our rooms corresponds to element we represent. This was originally just one big field of grass underneath a night sky, but once I got the hang of my powers I managed to transform it into this garden.”

“Well, you certainly did an amazing job,” Cadence said, bending down to examine some of the flowers. She reached out to gently caressed one of the petals with her fingers, but stopped when she noticed the blood that was still running down her hand.

Earth took notice of this as well and helped Cadence stand back up.

“Um… maybe we should take care of this wound before we do anything else,” he said.

“O-okay.” Cadence nodded her head in response, and Earth led her over to the stream, making her sit down on a large, flat rock.

“Wait here,” he said. “I’m going to get you some bandages. I won’t be long.”

Cadence watched Earth walk off, then turned to gaze at the many plants and the flowing stream. However, the longer she continued to look around the room, the more questions suddenly began to fill her mind. There were no beds. Where was she going to sleep? There weren’t any other doors in the room that could possibly lead to a bathroom. Where was she going to bathe? In the stream? She hoped not. There didn’t seem to be any way to get some sort of privacy for that, not to mention that the water looked really shallow.

Her thoughts were cut off when she suddenly noticed some things that appeared to be man-made near the far end of the room. There was a large drum kit, a music stand, and a black cabinet with multiple drawers. They looked rather out-of-place amongst the flowers, trees, and bushes.

“Cadeeeeence!”

Cadence looked over towards Liam upon hearing her name being called.

“Every time I look into the water, there’s another cat staring right back at me! I think he’s following me!” He peered into the water again. “See? Now he’s here too!”

Cadence giggled. Clearly Liam didn’t know a thing about reflections, yet.

“Dahlia! Give those back!”

Cadence turned just in time to see Dahlia scamper past her with the roll of bandages, Earth in pursuit with something tucked underneath one arm. 

The tabby cat stopped near one of the rocks and began to paw at the bandages after putting down the roll, playing with it as if it were a toy.

Earth laughed as he knelt down beside his familiar, placing the briefcase-like object down next to him. “It’s not playtime right now!” he said, smiling as he reached out and took the roll away from the kitten. “Seriously, Dahlia, I need these.”

The tabby looked up at him, blinked, and gave a quiet meow. Earth gave another quiet laugh and scratched Dahlia behind the ears for a moment before making his way over to Cadence.

The Ghoul took his time carefully washing the wound with the water from the stream, then slowly wrapped the bandages around her hand. After wrapping it a couple times, he looked up at Cadence. “That’s not too tight?” he asked.

Cadence shook her head. “No, it’s fine,” she said.

Earth nodded his head in acknowledgment, then tore the roll away. He then put the bandages down and made his way over to the large briefcase he had set down earlier. Opening it, he took out a wooden board, a small bowl, and a couple items that looked like they belonged in a kitchen for cooking.

“What’s all that?” Cadence asked, confused and intrigued at the same time.

Earth closed the briefcase and looked at her.

“I’m going to make you something that will help the wound heal faster,” he answered.

Cadence blinked. “You’re making Remedium pills?” she asked.

“Well, kind of.” Earth stood up and made his way over to some of the flowering plants. “It’s going to be like a liquid form of the drug, but with more natural ingredients.” He then reached out and began to pluck some of the petals off of one of the flowers.

“It will take some time, however,” he added.

“It’s fine.” Cadence laid down onto the flat rock, suddenly finding it surprisingly comfortable. “I can wait.” She smiled as she listened to the flowing of the stream, finding the quiet rather soothing. But after a moment, she suddenly felt the urge to ask another question. “H-hey, Earth?”

“Yes?”

Cadence hesitated for a moment. “What… what about Aether?”

Earth stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her. “...What do you mean?” he asked.

“Is there still an Aether ghoul?”

Earth remained silent for a minute and looked down at the flower petals in his hand. After a moment, he took a shaky breath.

“N-no,” he sighed. “Aether and Omega are the same ghoul.”

“Oh…” Cadence’s smile disappeared, and she gave a quiet sigh. “Okay then…”

Silence soon fell between the two of them, and even though the young acolyte did not feel the least bit tired, she suddenly found her eyes closing, and before long she was in a deep, peaceful sleep.  
\----------

The woman in front of Cadence was curled up into a ball, hugging her legs close to her body with her back facing her. The young acolyte could hear quiet sobs coming from her.

“...What’s wrong?” Cadence asked, timidly taking a step forward.

The woman turned her head and shot a glare at Cadence, tears streaming down her face. The bangs of her black hair fell messily over her forehead, and did little to obscure her lavender eyes.

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?!” She yelled, standing up. “I loved him and now he’s gone!”

Cadence blinked. “...W-who?” she asked, lowering her voice a tad.

The woman gave a frustrated sigh. “What are you, stupid?” she asked. “Aether! Omega! I loved him, and he loved me back! He was my everything, and now I have nothing!” Her hands balled up into fists as she continued to glare at Cadence.

“You’re me, therefore he was your everything too, right? So why aren’t you crying when you should be?!”

The young acolyte tried to come up with a response, but she did not have an answer.


	7. Sanguineum

Papa had arrived with Annali not long after Earth finished making the potion. After engaging in a bit of small talk with the two of them, he led them out of the room and down the hall to a door which had a silver upright triangle symbol with a horizontal line going through it. After arriving, the dark pope walked towards the door, tugging at the cuffs of the sleeves on his black suit.

“Air is going to help you with the first part of your training, Cadence,” he said, placing one hand on the doorknob. “He knows that we’re coming, so we can just walk right in.”

Cadence nodded her head in acknowledgement, taking a moment to rub her left palm, which had recently healed and no longer had a bandage on it, with her right thumb. She glanced over at Earth momentarily, who was holding a small glass bottle with a bright red liquid inside - the healing potion she had taken earlier.

She turned to face forward once more when she heard Papa open the door to Air’s room, and the three of them all stepped inside; their familiars staying close beside them.

When Cadence stepped into the room, she was both awed and confused at the same time. The interior of the room resembled a log cabin, complete with a bed, a few chairs, a fireplace, and a small piano that was tucked away into a corner. She glanced over at Earth again.

“I thought you said the rooms correspond to your elements,” she said.

“They do,” the Ghoul replied while dragging Dahlia away from a large bowl of cat food that was near the fireplace. “But Air’s room is a bit different. There's more to it than just this.”

Papa hummed as he looked around the room, finding no sign of Air. “...Perhaps he is outside…” he mumbled. His eyes stopped roaming when he suddenly spotted Air’s familiar, who was lying on top of the small bookcase, watching all of them. It was a massive silver maine coon with bright green eyes.

Emeritus smiled. “Azrael, would you take us to Air, please?” he asked, addressing the cat by its name.

The cat blinked slowly before getting off the bookcase and onto the floor. He led them to a large, wide opening in the back wall, which gave the impression that it was meant to be another doorway but was missing a door.

Everyone followed Azrael out of the room, and once Cadence stepped outside she was once more filled with awe upon seeing the change in scenery. Now the room gave the impression that they were outside, surrounded by a vast, flat, grassy terrain. There were massive mountains in the distance with snowy peaks, as well as a large, towering tree without any leaves on a single branch.

And a few yards away from this giant tree was Air, sitting on the ground with his legs crossed and his back facing the group.

“Just where I thought he’d be,” Papa muttered after giving a quiet chuckle.

Azrael made his way over to Air and sat down beside him. He meowed once, and the Ghoul turned his head to look at him. Air reached out and scratched the cat’s chin for a moment before he stood up and turned to face the group.

“Hello Papa...Earth...Cadence.” Air gave a bow to each of the persons as he addressed them, and they each bowed back to him in return. He met Cadence’s eyes as she came up from her bow. “I assume Earth has been treating you well, sister?” he asked.

Cadence nodded her head. “Yes, he has,” she answered. She glanced over at Earth and smiled. “He's making me feel right at home.”

Earth smiled, averted his eyes and blushed slightly.

“That’s good,” Air said with a smile. He then glanced over at Papa, who met the Ghoul’s eyes and gave him a nod of approval. After nodding his head in acknowledgement, Air looked back at Cadence.

“Alright, so… first part of your training…” Air clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace back and forth in front of Cadence.

“There will be many obstacles which you will have to face, Cadence,” he said, not making eye contact with her. “Some, you will be able to avoid with ease. Others, you may need our help to get past.”

The Ghoul then suddenly stopped walking, his back facing the giant tree. “But what if you're suddenly faced with a dangerous obstacle that threatens to harm you and you're on your own?”

Cadence’s smile disappeared when she heard Air’s rhetorical question. What exactly did he mean by “dangerous obstacles”?

“If that's the case…” Air unclasped his hands and held them up in front of him as if he were holding something. “...then you'll need a weapon.” He slowly moved one arm so that it looked like he was pulling something back, then said in a loud voice “Qui vocat vos!”

Immediately, an intricate silver and pale blue bow materialized in his hands out of thin air, an arrow already drawn. The Ghoul then turned around to face the tree and released the arrow in one swift motion, sending it flying until it hit the direct center of a small target that had been hanging on one of the branches.

Cadence stared at the arrow, her eyes wide with amazement at what she had just witnessed. “Whoa…” she whispered.

“Again!” Liam meowed, excitement filling his voice. “Do it again!”

Cadence wasn’t sure if Air was able to understand Liam yet, but nevertheless she watched as the Ghoul summoned another arrow and fired, hitting the bull's-eye once again with deadly accuracy. He then summoned an arrow a third time, which split the first arrow cleanly in two after he fired.

Everyone applauded Air after he finally lowered his bow. The Ghoul turned to face the three of them and gave a bow to show his thanks for the praise he was receiving. After coming back up from the bow, he turned to look at Cadence.

“And now, sister, we are going to help you summon yours.” Air held up one hand and motioned for Cadence to come forward.

The young acolyte obeyed, and walked over to Air, making her way over until she was standing beside him.

“Now, in order to do this correctly, you are going to need to hold something of your element in your hand and speak the Latin phrase that I had said earlier. You remember what I said?”

Cadence nodded her head. “I think so…” she said. She then paused and tried to remember the phrase. “‘Qui vocat vos’, right?”

Air nodded his head in response.

“...What exactly does that mean?”

“When roughly translated into English, it means ‘I summon you’,” the Ghoul answered. He looked down at the bow in his hand. “Our weapons have names as well,” he added. “Mine is called ‘Ventus’.” Air then put his bow down onto the ground and stood back up. “I can summon it no matter where I am, since there's air everywhere.” His smile suddenly disappeared. “But in your case...” The Ghoul paused and turned to look at her, glancing at her neck for a moment. “...you need blood. And the summoning will only work with your blood.”

Cadence’s smile disappeared, worry showing in her eyes. “...Then… h-how will I be able to summon my weapon?” she asked.

Air sighed and lowered his head, averting his eyes. “I’m sorry. You won’t want to do this, but…” He glanced back at Cadence. “...you’re going to have to cut your hand. With a knife.”

Cadence flinched upon hearing the word “knife”, and she furrowed her brow even more. “And...there’s… no other way?” she asked, her voice hushed.

Air shook his head. “No. I'm sorry.”

Papa walked over to Cadence, reached into his suit jacket, and pulled out his black dagger.

“Here, Ghuleh,” he said, placing the knife into Cadence’s right hand. “You can borrow Requiem for this.”

Cadence stared at the dagger with nervous eyes. Her hands shook as she took the knife from Papa and gripped it tightly. After taking a shaky breath, she bit down on her lower lip and positioned the blade at her left palm. She winced upon feeling how sharp and cold the blade was, and suddenly began to recall the night she had killed Lizzie, Edgar, and Vlad on Opulence Street…

Papa’s smile disappeared, and his brow furrowed slightly with concern. “...Want me to help you, Cadence?” he asked, reaching out towards Cadence’s right wrist. “I could-”

“N-no! I’ll do it!”

Cadence surprised both herself and Emeritus with her outburst. Nevertheless, she quickly calmed down and positioned Requiem as Papa stepped back. Closing her eyes, she pressed the edge of the blade into her skin and slashed it in one swift motion. She immediately winced from the stinging pain and dropped the knife, her now-empty right hand clutching her left wrist as blood seeped out of the fresh wound. She shut her eyes tightly and her body trembled as she tried to control her breathing.

“Now, Cadence,” Air said. “Say it.”

Cadence winced again, but nodded her head in acknowledgement.

“Q-q-qui...vocat vos…” she stuttered.

For a moment, she felt nothing - just the stinging pain in her hand. But after a while, she felt something metallic form in her hand, and she closed her fingers around it. Cadence slowly opened her eyes, which widened upon seeing that a sword had suddenly appeared in her hand.

Earth immediately hurried over to Cadence and handed her the potion bottle before she got the chance to admire the sword for very long. She took a sip of the red drink, allowing the fresh cut on her palm to quickly heal up. After thanking the Ghoul and handing the bottle back to him, she took the time to observe the weapon she was holding. The sword had a long, silver blade and a black and maroon hilt with a bright red stone in the middle of the crossguard.

Air also took a moment to observe Cadence’s weapon before he turned to look at Emeritus. 

“...Papa?” he asked. “Isn’t that...Sanguineum?”

The pope glanced at the sword and hummed in thought for a brief moment.

“If the memories serve me correct…” Papa paused again, then nodded his head. “Yes, Air. I do believe that is the same weapon.”

The Ghoul’s eyes now showed confusion.

“But… that shouldn’t be the case, right?” he asked. “Why does she have the exact same weapon as Ker-”

Papa took a sharp intake of breath and abruptly held up his index finger, silencing Air with the look in his glowering eyes before the Ghoul could finish his sentence. 

“Don’t. Say. Anything about that era. Let alone the one before,” he hissed, staying quiet to ensure that Cadence wouldn’t overhear him. “Not yet. It isn’t time for her to know.”

Cadence continued to observe the sword in her hands, turning it over and over as she watched the dim light flicker off of the blade.

“Sanguineum…” She whispered the name of the weapon to herself with a smile on her face.

However, after a moment, the girl’s smile disappeared, and she repeated the name once more.

Sanguineum.

Strange...Why did that sound familiar to her?

The young acolyte did not have much time to ponder this before she suddenly felt her head begin to pound. She gasped from the splitting headache and dropped the sword, clutching herself as a wave of nausea suddenly spread through her.

Papa gasped when he saw Cadence collapse onto the ground and rushed over to her, Earth and Air following him close behind. He knelt down beside her.

“Cadence, are you alright?!” He reached out and grabbed her hand, gripping it tightly as he tore the mask away from her face.

“I-I… don’t know…” she groaned. “This… hasn't…!” She suddenly stopped talking, and her face contorted in pain as she struggled to breathe.

Emeritus placed a hand on Cadence’s forehead. It felt like she was burning. He looked at the two Ghouls, panic clearly present in his mismatched eyes.

“Earth, get her some water,” he commanded. “Now. And hurry.”

The Ghoul nodded and hurried out of the room with Dahlia close behind him.

“Air, get something to cool her off. A fan, anything. It doesn’t matter.”

Papa watched as Air headed out of the room with Azrael, then turned to look down at Liam, who was gazing back at him with large, worried eyes. The calico kitten gave a quiet meow, and Emeritus reached out to gently pet him.

“She’s going to be alright, Liam,” he whispered. “Don’t worry. She’s going to be alright. I’ll make sure of it.” He rubbed the kitten’s head for a moment before he took his hand off of Liam and turned back towards Cadence. 

“What are you going to do?”

Papa turned to look at Annali, who was at his left. He sighed and shook his head. “The most I can do is wait and hope for the best. I don’t know what...”  
His voice trailed off, and after a moment he turned Cadence’s head so that she faced him. “Ghuleh, please...open your eyes if you can hear me...” he whispered.

Cadence obeyed the command and opened her eyes. But when she did, she no longer found herself in Air’s room with Emeritus in front of her.

She was now in a long corridor that was filled with smoke and flames. A male angel with shaggy brown hair, a yellow and white outfit, and golden eyes was looking down at her, a wicked grin on his face.


	8. Burns

The angel gave a quiet laugh as he stared at her.

“Well, well, well…” he said. “It looks like Papa’s little Blood Warrior isn’t all she’s cracked up to be.” A smirk appeared on his face as he pointed the small green jewel of his staff at her. “Pity. I was expecting a lot more from the former Countess.”

It was at that moment that Cadence suddenly felt hatred beginning to burn inside her, the feeling almost matching the intensity of the heat of the flames surrounding them. She gritted her teeth and grabbed Sanguineum from off the floor, swinging the blade at the angel as she stood back up, wincing from injuries on her body that had not been there before. The angel merely took a step back, avoiding her attack. 

Just then, a name suddenly came to mind, and Cadence opened her mouth to speak. However, when she did, her voice did not sound like her own. It sounded like that of a slightly older woman.

“You and your traitorous brothers will not get away with this, Raphael!” she yelled. “Infestissumam may be crumbling, but it will not fall by your hands!”

“Maybe not.” Raphael pointed his staff at her once more; the jewel beginning to shine brightly. “But you will.” He backed up a couple more steps, then swung his staff horizontally, sending a green blast of magic towards her.  
Cadence turned to avoid the blast of magic, then ran at the angel with her sword raised. She swung the blade at him over and over, but he deflected every single attack with his staff. 

She became more and more visibly frustrated with every blow that failed to land on Raphael, and after having yet another attack deflected, she lunged forward with the blade pointed at him. Raphael turned his body to the side to dodge her attack, then knocked her down with a hard kick to the chest as she turned to strike him again.  
Raphael sneered as he watched her get back up, enjoying the look of pure anger in her eyes. 

“That was practically identical to the way you tried to attack me earlier, and now look - the exact same result occurred.” His golden eyes narrowed as his grin widened. “Have the Ghouls taught you nothing, Kerstin?” he asked. The angel then raised his staff again and prepared to fire another spell.

Gritting her teeth, Cadence placed the blade of her sword against an already-bleeding cut on her left arm and sliced downward, further deepening the wound, which in turn caused more blood to gush out.  
“Come and find out for yourself,” she answered, narrowing her eyes.

The angel’s smile disappeared, and he raised an eyebrow. He stared at her for a moment, possibly contemplating what she had just commanded of him. But before long, his grip on his staff tightened and he swung it again, launching another blast of magic at her.  
As the green blast of magic came closer, Cadence held up the arm she had just cut in order to defend herself, but the action was not done out of fear. The blast hit her and surrounded Cadence with smoke for only a moment. When it cleared, however, the young acolyte was still standing, but now with a small, crimson shield attached to her arm where she had cut it.

Raphael continued to fire off more blasts of magic as Cadence strode over towards him, but she only knocked them out of her way with the shield as she came closer, a confident smile on her face.

Eventually, she felt brave, and ran in Raphael’s direction. The angel’s staff glowed a red-orange color as he stuck the jewel into some nearby flames, then swung in a wide, horizontal arc, creating a wave of fire that was sent in her direction. But Cadence jumped up and over the fire and the angel, slashing a painting of a woman in a garden that was still hanging on the wall; the diagonal slash going right across the woman's body.

As Cadence landed back onto the ground, her back facing Raphael, she plunged Sanguineum into the ground and closed her eyes. Immediately, the bright red stone in the sword began to glow, and before long, blood gushed forth from the slash she had made in the painting. The liquid landed on and around Raphael, covering him and the floor underneath his feet in red. The angel barely had any time to react before Cadence snapped her fingers, and bright red crystals sprung up from the blood, trapping him in place so that he couldn't move his legs or the arm which held the staff.

Cadence smirked as she stood up, pulling her sword out of the ground. “Still think I haven't learned anything?”  
she asked in a taunting voice, keeping her head forward. The shield on her arm disappeared. “Try and get yourself out of that.”

At that moment, a plethora of thoughts entered the young acolyte’s mind: 

Get out. Don't stay here. Find Emeritus. Find Aether. The Ghouls need you. Help them fight.

Without turning to look back, Cadence sighed and began to walk forward, her eyes focused on the large window in front of her at the end of the hallway.

“Watch me.”

Cadence abruptly stopped in her tracks upon hearing Raphael's menacing tone, and turned just in time to see him shatter the blood crystals into hundreds of pieces. She covered her eyes with her arm to protect them from the tiny, sharp projectiles, lowering her arm only once she was sure it was safe to.

Her eyes widened when she saw Raphael holding the chains that had been wrapped around his arms earlier. He flicked his wrists, and the chains grew in length as the ends were sent flying towards her. 

Panic suddenly flowed through her mind, and she gripped Sanguineum tightly in both hands. She swung the blade at the chains, beating them back repeatedly as she tried to fend them off. Her eyes were wide with fear.

“Not again,” her mind screamed. “No, not again… Don't let it happen again…!”

But she missed one of the chains, and the cold metal wrapped around her legs and pulled her to the floor; the second chain quickly knocking Sanguineum out of her hands and holding down her arms soon after.

As she hit the ground, Cadence noticed a cracked mirror beside her, and she turned to glance at her reflection. Her face looked completely different- she looked slightly older, about in her early to mid-twenties, with messy black hair. The only thing that seemed unchanged were her eyes, which were still their same bright purple color.  
Raphael knelt down beside her and gripped her hair tightly, keeping her head faced towards the mirror.

“Take a good long look at yourself, Kerstin,” he said, a wicked grin back on his face. He once more stuck the jewel that was on his staff into the flames. “Because it's the last thing you'll ever see.”

Cadence’s eyes widened as she watched what was happening in the mirror. Raphael took the end of his staff out of the flames, and, without warning, pressed the searing hot gem against her eyes. She screamed in complete agony as the flames and heat scorched her skin and eyes similar to how metal is welded together.  
Her body tensed up, and she tried to break the chains that were constricting her, but they didn't let go until Raphael finally took the jewel off her.

She tried to open her eyes. She couldn't. They hurt too much. Her trembling hands moved to her face as she attempted to catch her breath.

Raphael released his grip on her hair. “How does it feel, Kerstin?” he hissed. “How does it feel to be vulnerable? To be completely and utterly helpless?”

Cadence gasped when Raphael sharply kicked her, the force of the blow rolling her over. She fumbled for something in the darkness to grab hold of, but could feel nothing except the floor.

“Listen to me, Ghuleh!”

Cadence immediately stopped as soon as she heard Papa’s voice pierce the sudden silence that had fallen. 

“Listen to me! Focus only on my voice. You're not there! You’re here, in Meliora!”

“Meliora…” Cadence murmured, repeated what she had heard. Her voice sounded like her own once more. “Meliora…” 

Memories of the earlier training session with Air suddenly came flooding back to her, and before long she no longer smelled the smoke nor felt the heat of the flames. Cautiously, she opened her eyes and found herself back in Air’s room. 

Slowly, the young acolyte took in her surroundings. Papa was holding her, Air was fanning her with a small paper fan, and Earth was holding a wet rag and some water. 

“...Are you alright, Cadence?” Papa asked.

Air stopped fanning Cadence when she bolted upright, gasping for a breath.

“Wh-...wha-... How?!” She still felt a bit dizzy, and was struggling to form actual sentences.

Emeritus looked over at Earth. “Earth, give her the water.”

The Ghoul knelt down beside Cadence and handed her the cup of water he had been holding. She took it in her hands and proceeded to drink it slowly, taking small sips.

“Are you okay?” Earth asked. “Do you need the healing potion?”

Cadence put the cup down and shook her head. “N-no, I…” She suddenly stopped herself, and she touched the area around her eyes with one hand. When Emeritus placed his hand on top of hers, she stopped and turned to look at him.

“Your eyes are fine,” Papa said, taking her hand off her face. “None of what you saw or felt was real. You were just hallucinating.”

Cadence stared at the dark pope for a minute longer before she finally nodded her head. “O-...okay,” she said.  
Papa helped Cadence stand up, and waited until she had finished the water before speaking up again.

“Should I go tell Mist to postpone the next part of your training until later tonight?” he asked.

Cadence shook her head. “N-no, I…” She walked over to where she had dropped Sanguineum and picked it up. “...I'm sure I'll be fine.”

Emeritus nodded his head in acknowledgement, then watched as Cadence scooped Liam up into her arms. She took a moment to thank Air for the training, then followed him towards the door. But after a moment, he stopped and turned to face Earth, who wasn't following them.

“Want to come and watch, Earth?” he asked.

Earth lowered his head. “If… if it's alright with you, Papa… I'd… like to talk with Air for a bit…” the Ghoul said, his voice hushed.

Emeritus nodded. “Very well then. I'll see you both later.” He then turned and led Cadence out of the room.

Air turned to face Earth after the door had finally closed. “What’s wrong, brother?” he asked.

Earth sighed, keeping his head down. “I'm just… worried,” he answered.


	9. Opposites Attract

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

Cadence gave a sigh and met Emeritus’ eyes. “For the eighth time, Papa: yes, I’m fine,” she said. A smile appeared on her face. “Really, it was just one hallucination. Don’t be so worried about me.” She held up Sanguineum. “I’ll be able to do this.”

Papa gave a quiet sigh and nodded his head before he turned and continued down the hall with her. He mumbled something, but Cadence didn’t hear what he said.

Before long, the two of them arrived at a pair of double doors. When Emeritus opened them, they were faced with another long corridor, but, unlike all the other halls she had been through so far, this one had a grey stone floor. It also seemed to slant downward slightly.

Cadence followed Emeritus down this new path. Despite how dark it was, her eyes quickly adjusted, and before long she could see rather well. However, there wasn't really much to see, anyway- the stone walls were the exact same color as the floor, with no decorations to be seen.

She returned to focusing on what was in front of her when she suddenly noticed a dark silhouette coming towards her and Papa. She tensed up slightly and stopped in her tracks, but quickly calmed down when she realized that it was just one of the Ghouls.

The masked being stopped and turned to face Emeritus.  
“Hello Papa,” he said, giving a bow.

Papa smiled back. “Hello Alpha.” The dark pope clasped his hands behind his back. “I assume your sparring match with Mist went well?”

“Yep.” The Ghoul closed his eyes and stretched his arm for a moment, and Cadence momentarily took the time to notice that he had an identical half of a broken heart tattoo on each hand near the thumb. “I gotta say, she put up quite the fight.”

Emeritus raised his eyebrows. “You didn’t hold back, did you?” he asked.

Alpha finished stretching and rolled his eyes after lowering his arm. “Pfft. No way! I obviously gave it my all.”

A smile reappeared on Papa’s face. “That’s good. I expect nothing less from you, Alpha,” he said.

“And I can assure you that you will get that,” the Ghoul replied, giving another bow. When he returned to a fully upright position, Alpha finally noticed Cadence and turned to look at her.

Cadence, surprised by the sudden silence that had fallen, averted her eyes for a moment. “...H-hi Alpha,” she said, smiling with a sheepish look on her face.

The Fire Ghoul, however, no longer gave the same smile he had exchanged with Papa. The look in his eyes was one of vexation as he looked down at her. He stared at Cadence in silence for a moment before he turned and walked towards the double doors. The bengal cat that had been following him stopped and turned to glare at Cadence; its chartreuse eyes glowing in the darkness.

“C’mon, Espen,” Alpha grumbled. “She’s not worth our time.”

Papa watched as Espen followed Alpha out into the main hall, the large double doors closing behind them with a dull “thud”. When all was quiet once more, he turned to look at Cadence, who was no longer smiling and had her head lowered.

“...Ghuleh?” he said. “Might I ask what that was about?”

Cadence sighed and leaned against the wall. “...Nothing. He’s just ticked off because I accidentally mentioned Ome-”

“‘He who shall not be mentioned in front of Alpha or Papa’!” Liam said, tapping her leg with his tiny white paw. “Remember?”

Cadence’s eyes widened slightly, realizing the mistake she nearly made. She turned to look at Papa. He looked a little confused, but thankfully he wasn’t upset like she thought he’d be. Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, she walked away from the wall. “Nevermind,” she said. “It’s nothing.”

Emeritus stared at her for a moment before nodding his head. “Alright then.” He then turned and continued down the hall, Annali right by his side. Cadence and Liam followed a few steps behind. They all continued down the long hallway until they finally arrived at an opening which led into a much larger room. 

Well, “large” was a bit of an understatement.

The room was gigantic. It seemed to resemble an arena of sorts, with a domed ceiling and a vast stone floor. There were even some seats for an audience.

Cadence’s moment of awe was interrupted when she noticed a cat walking towards her. It was a fluffy ragdoll cat, with pale blue eyes, and white fur covering most of its body. Silvery grey fur covered its head from the tips of its ears to its upper eyelids, making the cat look like it was wearing a mask.

“Is she here, Winter?”

The cat turned her head as Mist walked over towards her. The female Ghoul then took notice of Papa and Cadence and gave a bow to each of them.

“Hello, Cadence,” she said after coming up from her bow. “Are you ready to begin this next part of your training?”

Cadence gripped Sanguineum while nodding her head in reply, and for the first time she took notice of the black and silver bracelets that Mist was wearing on her arms.

****

“Here, Earth. Sit down.”

Earth walked over to the yoga mat Air had laid out for him. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath to calm himself as he sat down on it. Air walked over to the smaller Ghoul and knelt down beside him. The room was currently quiet, as Earth had requested that Dahlia return to his room and wait for him, and Azrael never bothered to much of anything unless Air gave him a command, so the maine coon wouldn’t be much of a bother.

“...You sure you want to go through with this?” Air asked. “You don’t want to just tell me what’s wrong?”

Earth opened his eyes and shook his head. “No. My emotions will get the better of me if I do, and…” He paused, then chuckled for a moment. “...you remember what occurred the last time that happened?”

Air laughed with him. “Yeah, I don’t think Papa would really appreciate it if you caused another minor earthquake again,” he said. The taller Ghoul then stopped laughing, and concern returned to his voice. “You need anything else before this starts?” he asked.

“No thanks. I’m good.”

Air nodded his head in acknowledgement, then gave a sigh. “Okay then.” He slowly reached out towards Earth and placed his hands on the top and bottom of Earth’s mask. “I...I’m going to take your mask off now, brother.”

Earth took another deep breath and kept his eyes locked on the taller Ghoul in front of him. Air hesitated for a moment before he began to slowly pull the silver mask off of him, gently placing it next to him onto the mat once the task was complete. 

Air stared at the smaller Ghoul’s face in silence. There were very few times where they, as Ghouls, were able to take off their masks. It was strongly advised against to do so in the presence of citizens, as well as other certain members of the clergy like the nuns (more commonly referred to as “Sisters of Sin”). It was especially discouraged to remove them when in the presence of Adela, known to them and often addressed by the clergy members as “Sister Imperator”, who saw each and every one of them as nobodies; beings that were devoid of thought and whose only purpose was to help Emeritus spread the unholy word.

But each one of them was someone. They all had identities, personalities, and thoughts. Each and every one of them was unique, just like the element they represented.

Slowly, Air reached out his hands towards Earth’s head.

“W-wait.”

The taller Ghoul abruptly stopped when Earth broke the silence and met his eyes.

“I… I want to see your face too, brother,” Earth said.

Air nodded, then proceeded to take off his own mask, placing it right next to Earth’s when he was done. Afterwards, he placed his hands on the sides of Earth’s head.

“This will hurt.”

“I know.” Earth tried to sound confident, but the slight shakiness of his voice hinted that he was actually a little scared. “Just… just do it, Air.”

“Alright.” Air gave a sigh and hesitated once again, but soon pressed a little more firmly against the sides of Earth’s head with the tips of his fingers, maintaining eye contact with him the entire time. He controlled his breathing to a slow pace, and soon a plethora of thoughts entered his mind.

But they were not his own thoughts. 

They were Earth’s thoughts.

Earth kept his eyes locked on Air’s as the taller Ghoul used his mind-reading power on him. He tried to control his breathing and keep his voice down, but the pain he could feel in his head was increasing with each passing moment, making the task more difficult as time went on. His hands clenched into fists, and he bit down on his lip as a small sound of pain left him. He wanted to shut his eyes, but a voice in the back of his mind continued to remind him to keep them open. If the connection between them was abruptly cut off, via blinking or moving his head to break eye contact, it could end up hurting Air, and Earth didn't want that to happen.

His eyes stung, and tears were beginning to form, but the Ghoul didn't dare to blink until Air had finally taken his hands off of him and closed his eyes. He blinked rapidly as he watched the taller Ghoul, waiting to hear what he had to say.

“...I see,” Air said, breaking the silence. He opened his eyes and looked down at Earth. “You're worried that you won’t be good enough to help Cadence.”

Earth lowered his head and nodded. “Yes,” he answered. “And although you told her to not be worried about doing well at performing her duties as an acolyte... you're finding it difficult to follow your own advice.” Air paused again. “Is that correct?”

“Y-...yes.” Earth nodded his head again, a little quicker than he had intended. “That’s…”

The Ghoul could feel a sudden wave of anxiety rush through him, and before he could let Air notice his nervousness, he turned away from the taller Ghoul and began to wave his hands to make a flower grow out of the ground. He didn’t care what kind of flower he would make, all things of nature, whether it was a flowing stream, a flowering tree, or a vast grassy field, seemed to calm him and take his mind off of whatever was bothering him.

His eyes glanced downward when the plant broke through the soil and grew upward. The bud at the end soon broke open, unfurling the tiny, pale blue petals that had been trapped inside. The small Ghoul smiled and continued to move his hands upwards as if to command the tiny flower (a forget-me-not, he noticed) to grow so high it would touch the ceiling. 

But just as the tiny flower continued its ascent, it stopped. The plant trembled for a moment before it slowly bent downward and wilted, unable to go on. Earth jerked his hands back and uttered a small cry of surprise as the flower crumbled into a pile brown powder on the floor. His eyes went back and forth between the palms of his hands and where the flower had been just moments ago.

“Earth.”

Air placed a hand on Earth’s shoulder, and the smaller Ghoul turned his head to look at him.

“It’s going to be alright, Earth,” he said. “It’s going to be alright.”

“...You sure?” Earth asked, his voice hushed.

Air smiled warmly and took Earth’s hand. 

“Would I ever lie to you?” he asked.

Earth smiled at him, and a moment of silence passed between them before Air let go of Earth’s hand and wrapped his arms around the smaller Ghoul, pulling him in so that Earth was seated in his lap. He placed one hand on the back of Earth’s head and closed his eyes as he slowly leaned forward.

Earth closed his eyes and leaned forward as well. He felt the scruffiness of Air’s slight stubble on his chin as he kissed him. He loved that feeling.

Air lazily rubbed Earth’s back, deeply inhaling the smaller Ghoul’s scent through his nose as the kiss deepened. He smelled of evergreen. There was the faint taste of honey in his mouth, which was warm and inviting. He loved it. He loved it all- everything about the small drummer Ghoul. Air loved his looks, his scent, his bubbly cheerfulness when he played the drums, his shyness, and all of his various other talents.

Yes, they were both males. Yes, they were elemental opposites, but none of that mattered.

The kiss broke, and before another word was spoken between the two of them, Earth tore at the buttons on his top, exposing his bare chest to Air. The taller Ghoul helped him remove his shirt, then began planting kisses all over his pale skin.

Earth whimpered when Air placed a kiss mere millimeters from the yellowish-brown triangular mark that was just a little bit below his left nipple - his sigil, which looked exactly the same as the symbol that was highlighted on his suit.

Air stared at the mark for a moment, then lightly brushed his thumb against it. He smiled when Earth whimpered again, a little louder this time, then began to rub it in circles while swirling his tongue over the nipple above it. 

The small Ghoul continued to make little sounds of pleasure as Air continued to lick, suck, and sometimes even nip at his flesh with his teeth. He dug his nails into Air’s back, and before long, the taller Ghoul had laid him down onto the mat. The drummer arched his back and began to move his hips, rubbing himself against Air’s lower body. He sucked in a breath upon feeling the friction against his hardening cock.

“...Air, please,” he whispered, begging with his eyes.  
Air knew exactly what Earth wanted. Smiling, he sat back up and undid the smaller Ghoul’s trousers, pulling down his boxers along with them so that his length was exposed. The taller Ghoul then moved his hands to his own pants, where he undid the button and zipper before pulling them down to expose his own cock.

Earth bit down on his lower lip when his eyes fell upon Air’s length. It was big - both in terms of length and girth. But on top of that, there were silver piercings decorating the shaft.

Air made eye contact with the smaller Ghoul as he reached out one hand and wrapped his fingers around both their arousals. He slowly stroked them up and down in his palm, not once breaking his gaze away from Earth’s half-lidded eyes.

Earth bucked his hips and whimpered once again. “F-faster...please…”

Air nodded, and soon quickened the pace of his hand. An occasional grunt would leave him as he watched Earth react to the stimulus.

“Brother...y-you’re always... s-so… good…!” Earth’s head fell back and his moans increased in volume as he began to get lost in the pleasure; his hips thrusting upward more frequently as time went on. 

Suddenly, his blue-green eyes shot open, and he dug his nails into Air’s shoulders through the fabric of his suit. “I-I'm gonna…!” He squeezed his eyes shut, and a tiny, high-pitched sound of pleasure left him as the first few strands of cum began to spurt from his cock, coating Air’s hand and the head of his dick.

Air watched as Earth’s climax hit him, and before long he felt his own orgasm rush through him. He shut his eyes and gritted his teeth as he came with a loud grunt, the sticky white strands landing on Earth’s chest.

Panting heavily, the two Ghouls attempted to catch their breath as they came down from their high. Air released his grasp on both their dicks and looked down to meet Earth’s eyes, which were half-lidded and unfocused. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on the drummer's lips.

“I love you, Earth,” he said, a smile present on his face.

Earth chuckled and wrapped his arms around Air’s neck.

“I love you too,” he whispered.


	10. Sparring Match

Emeritus took his place at one of the stone seats located in the front row and sat down. He watched as Cadence and Mist walked over to the center of the circular room; Cadence holding Sanguineum in one hand while Mist’s hands were still devoid of any sort of weapon.

While the dark pope watched them, he took notice of the lighting in the room. Cadence’s half of the circle was well lit with many candles. Mist’s half, on the other hand, only had five candles at most, covering most of the floor in shadows.

A high-pitched meow by his feet caused him to look down. Liam was staring up at him with his big blue eyes, his head tilted to the side. Emeritus smiled.

“You want to watch?” he asked.

Liam meowed again as if to respond, then reached up and placed his two front paws on Papa’s leg. The dark pope chuckled, leaned forward, and scooped the tiny kitten up into his arms. Afterwards, he looked back up to continue watching Cadence and Mist, finally focusing on their conversation.

“...F-...fight?” Cadence asked, worry and confusion present in her voice. She glanced down at the sword in her hands, then met Mist’s eyes again. The female Ghoul nodded in response.

“Yes,” Mist answered. “It is essential for all of us to be able to engage in combat effectively.” She suddenly held up one finger. “But this is just a test.” The Ghoul lowered her hand and clasped her hands behind her back, keeping her eyes locked on Cadence. “I’m going to analyze your fighting abilities through this duel, and we’ll work from there to help you improve later on. Make sense?”

Cadence nodded, but there was worry still present in her eyes. “What… what if I get injured?” she asked.

“Well, hopefully that won't be the case, but Earth made you a healing potion, correct?”

The young acolyte opened her mouth to respond, but quickly closed it upon realizing that Mist’s question was rhetorical.

“If you do happen to get injured, I can send Winter to go find him so he can give you it.” Mist unclasped her hands and took a small step back. “...Sound good?”

Cadence glanced at Sanguineum once more, then nodded.

Mist smiled behind her mask. “Good.” She took another step backwards, allowing more shadows to cover her. “Oh, and I'd like to give you a few tips before we start. Is that alright?”

Despite her worry, a smile appeared on Cadence’s face as she once more nodded her head in response.

“Okay then…” The female Ghoul placed one hand behind her back. “First, hold your sword with two hands. You aren’t experienced enough yet to wield it with just one. Keep your dominant hand on top, closer to the pommel.”

Cadence did as she was told, positioning her hands accordingly.

“Second, always keep your eyes locked onto your opponent,” Mist said. “Make note of their every move.”

Cadence nodded, and kept her eyes focused on the female Ghoul, who for some reason still hadn’t summoned a weapon yet. The young acolyte was a bit confused. Why was that? She suddenly glanced downward towards the floor when she thought she saw one of the shadows near Mist’s feet move slightly in a way that resembled rippling water.

“Cadence.”

She quickly refocused her attention on Mist upon hearing the slight hint of irritation in the Ghoul’s voice. “S-sorry!” she exclaimed. Cadence then hushed her voice slightly, averting her eyes. “...I just… I got distracted for a second, there.”

Mist gave a quiet sigh and shook her head. The smile underneath her mask had disappeared. “That’s no good, sister. In a real duel, even the smallest distraction could cause you to lose your life.” She stared at Cadence with focused eyes; her tone now serious. “Keep your eyes on me,” she stated.  
Cadence nodded. “I will.”

“Good.”

The shadows on the floor moved again, but this time, Cadence paid no attention to them. She kept her eyes locked on Mist as she was told. 

She took a few steps to the right, and Mist turned with her, keeping the object that was behind her back hidden from her. Cadence took a couple more steps, a little quicker this time, but Mist was able to keep up with her. The young acolyte was becoming increasingly curious. What was Mist planning, and what was she hiding behind her back?

“Oh, and I've got one final tip for you, Cadence,” Mist said, breaking the silence.

Cadence lowered Sanguineum slightly. “Yeah?” she asked.

Without warning, Mist lunged towards Cadence. The hand which had been hidden behind her back was raised, revealing that the female Ghoul was now holding a black and purple sword with a silver blade.

Cadence gasped and shut her eyes tightly, holding up Sanguineum to protect herself as Mist swung at her. The blades collided; the noise of the impact echoing throughout the room. After a moment, Cadence shoved Mist back, then attempted to strike her in the same manner. She swung her sword wildly, desperate to land a hit, but Mist dodged every single attack. When Cadence lunged forward with the blade pointed in Mist’s direction, the Ghoul leaned to the right before she suddenly grabbed hold of Cadence’s wrist, dropped her sword and knocked the young acolyte to the ground with her free arm all in one swift motion. 

“Never let your guard down.”

Cadence leaned on Sanguineum as she got back up, rubbing the side of her face. “Yeah, got it,” she said, chuckling as a small smile appeared on her face. “I’ll keep all that in mind.”

For some reason, all of those suggestions sounded rather familiar. Had someone told her those same things before? She couldn’t seem to recall if it was true or not. Maybe she had read it in a book?

Mist reached out a hand and helped Cadence back onto her feet. After standing up, Cadence looked down at the floor, and was surprised to find that Mist’s sword had mysteriously disappeared.

“It’ll come back,” Mist said, adjusting the bracelet on her right wrist. “Don’t worry about it.” She finished adjusting both bracelets before speaking again. “Now, about that first attempt…” She paused, then met Cadence’s eyes, and her tone became serious. 

“Well, for starters, I’m pleased that you didn’t try to run away when I went to attack you. Fleeing from a battle won’t always be a possible option. However…” The Ghoul folded her arms across her chest. “...you let your fear show.”

“And that’s… bad?” Cadence asked, glancing down at Sanguineum for a moment.

Mist nodded. “Very. If your opponent sees that you’re afraid, it’s a sign of weakness.” She then paused and glanced downward towards a shadow that was by her right. She extended an arm out towards it and moved her hand in a small circular motion. The shadow swirled, but did not take the shape of anything that was recognizable.

“You were also swinging your weapon around rather wildly,” she continued. “That’ll quickly tire you out.” Mist then abruptly stopped moving her hand and turned to look back at Cadence. “So when we do this next round, I want you to aim for a specific area and focus on it when you go to attack. Strike only when you think you have a clear opening. Got it?”

Cadence nodded and repositioned her herself. “I’m ready,” she said.

Mist nodded, then once more extended her hand out towards the shadows on the floor. The jewel on her right bracelet shone, and before long the shadows began to ripple and swirl. After a moment, the shadow actually rose off the floor and collected in her open hand, morphing into a certain shape. Before long, the inky blackness faded away, and Mist’s sword was back in her hand. The light which was emitting from the jewel dimmed soon after.

Confusion was now showing on Cadence’s face. “Hey, wait. You didn’t say the phrase just now.” She lowered Sanguineum. “How did you summon your weapon?”

“This?” Mist held up the sword, stared at it for a moment, then looked back at Cadence and shook her head. “Oh no. This isn’t my weapon.”

Cadence narrowed her eyes. “But-”

Mist tapped her right bracelet with one finger. “These are my weapons.”

Cadence blinked. “But they’re bracelets,” she said, her confusion growing.

“Bracelets that create weapons of any kind from shadows.” The female Ghoul turned and extended her other hand towards another long shadow that was on the ground beside her. The jewel on the left bracelet shone, and the shadow swam towards her open hand. The dark substance collected in her palm, and when the blackness dispersed, it revealed a long spear.

Cadence watched as Mist dropped the spear, causing it to transform into a cloud of purple smoke and disappear; the pieces of the shadow swimming along the ground back to their original spot. Mist then proceeded to summon various other weapons: an axe, a dagger, a mace, and even a shuriken. “Wow…” she whispered, watching the shuriken disappear as Mist dropped it onto the floor. She then looked back up at Mist. “...So do you use shadows to summon your bracelets too?”

Mist stared at her left bracelet and gave a sigh as she shook her head. “No. Nebula cannot be summoned with shadows. It requires a specific combination of water and fire,” she said. The Ghoul then raised her head and met Cadence’s eyes. “On the night I summoned my weapon for the first time, both Alpha and Water had to use their powers to help me. Even now, with my training, I still find it difficult to summon it.” 

The Ghoul paused, then continued. “Fortunately, I don’t need to summon Nebula very often. You, on the other hand, will need to constantly re-summon… Sanguineum, right?”

Cadence nodded. “Yes, but why?”

“Small weapons, like daggers and shurikens, don’t need to be constantly summoned because they require a small amount of the wielder’s element and energy to appear. Larger weapons, like your sword, require a lot more energy and element so, at most, they can only last for a couple hours before they disappear.”

Cadence nodded her head. “Okay, that makes sense.” She paused, and after a moment, a sudden wave of determination flooded through her, causing a smile to reappear on her face. She adjusted her footing and raised Sanguineum once more.

Mist smiled and gave a laugh. “Someone’s suddenly very eager. Want to go again?” she asked. Her grin widened when Cadence nodded in response, and she gripped her sword with both hands. “Just for showing me that attitude, I won’t go easy on you.”  
Cadence grinned back. 

“I don’t want you to.”

Without warning, Cadence ran forward, swinging her sword once she believed she was close enough to land a hit. But Mist quickly backed up, away from the blade and out of the light. As Cadence prepared to swing again, the jewels on Mist’s bracelets began to shine, and before long the female Ghoul was completely engulfed by the darkness and disappeared just as Cadence brought her blade down.

Cadence gripped Sanguineum tightly as she glanced around, finding no sign of Mist. Not one shadow moved. Not one flame on the surrounding candles went out. The entire room was dead silent.

“Cadence, behind you!” Liam meowed.

The young acolyte turned just in time to see that Mist was currently in the air with her sword raised. Her mind screamed for her to move, but she wasn’t quick enough. Mist brought down her sword, and the sharp blade tore at Cadence’s top, ripping the fabric.

Emeritus abruptly stood up from his seat, eyes wide. He watched in both shock and horror as Cadence dropped Sanguineum and fell to the floor, clutching the bleeding wound with both hands.

“Ghuleh!” The dark pope ran out of the aisle and hurried over towards her.

Mist was staring down at Cadence, her eyes wide with the same emotions as Emeritus.

“C-Cadence, I-!” She tried to finish her sentence, but found that she couldn't. “I'm so sorry! I didn't…!”

Cadence picked up Sanguineum and slammed the blade into the floor, slowly getting back up.

“I-I'm fine…” she groaned. Slowly, she took her blood-stained hand away from her chest and looked down at the wound. The large gash had somehow already mostly healed, with just a small amount of blood still dripping out.

Emeritus stared at the wound for a moment, and before long, a smile appeared on his face.

“Well! It appears that some of your new powers are already beginning to reveal themselves,” he exclaimed. “Your body can heal quicker than any of ours!” He crossed his arms. “You might not even need Earth’s healing potion at all!”

A small smile appeared on Cadence’s face as she glanced at Papa, then back at Mist. “I… I think we can still continue, Mist,” she said. “Really, I’m fine.”

Mist thought in silence for a moment, then took a deep breath. She held up her sword.

“Alright, but if any more blood is spilled, we stop immediately,” she declared.

Cadence smiled and nodded her head in acknowledgement. However, as Mist backed away a few steps and Papa headed back in the direction of his seat, she couldn’t help but stare at the blood on her hand. 

She held her hand up to her nose and sniffed once. There was such a sweet smell coming from it, and at that moment, something in the back of her mind told her to consume it…

She brought her middle and index fingers to her mouth, closing her eyes as she licked the blood off. It tasted as sweet as it smelled…

“Ready, Cadence?”

Cadence took her fingers out of her mouth and, after wiping her hand on her clothes, repositioned herself when she heard Mist call her. At that moment, she realized that she suddenly felt much more confident than before. 

And powerful.

“Yeah, let's go,” she replied, smiling.

Her eyes were focused as she watched Mist run towards her, sword raised. When the female Ghoul swung the blade at her, she quickly blocked the attack with a surprising amount of ease, and soon retaliated in a similar manner, aiming for Mist’s shoulders.

Mist quickly turned to avoid the attack, then swung her sword diagonally. Cadence swiftly deflected the blade as she turned in Mist’s direction, and before long she had Mist on the defensive side of the duel.

The female Ghoul smiled at how suddenly Cadence had improved. It was certainly unexpected, but in a good way.

However, as the blades continued to clash over and over, Mist’s smile disappeared. Something wasn’t right. Each strike from Cadence was harder than the last one. Her smile resembled more of a smirk, and the look in her eyes was threatening and wild. 

Mist’s eyes widened. She had seen this look before.

She had seen it earlier when Papa drank Cadence’s blood during the ritual.

“C-Cadence, stop,” Mist commanded, the words rushing out of her mouth as she watched the young acolyte raise her sword once again. “Now.”

But Cadene didn’t listen to her. Mist just barely had enough time to dodge as the blade was brought down.

“...But why?” Cadence asked, her wicked smile widening as she gave a laugh. “This is fun!” She swung at Mist again, and the Ghoul swiftly blocked her attack with her own sword. “Besides, you’re much more of a challenge. That makes it even better.”

“I’m serious!” Mist yelled, shielding herself with one arm as she sidestepped out of the way to dodge yet another attempted strike. “You need to stop right-!”

Cadence yelled and swung hard, catching Mist off guard; the force of the impact knocking the sword out of her hands. She stumbled as she tried to avoid the second strike, and ended up getting hit with the hilt, the force of the blow knocking her to the ground. The Ghoul’s sword disappeared, and and she attempted to get back up, Cadence pointed Sanguineum at Mist and raised it, preparing to bring it down…

“No, Ghuleh!”

Papa ran towards Cadence and raised his arms, stopping when he was just a few yards away from her. He held her in place with his magic, preventing her from bringing her sword down. He watched as she struggled against the invisible bonds, then glanced down at Mist, meeting her eyes. The Ghoul’s eyes were wide, and she was breathing heavily. She was clearly afraid, an emotion which she hardly ever showed.

“Papa! Let go of me!” Cadence yelled, gritting her teeth as she continued trying to fight back.

But Emeritus paid no attention to her. He turned his head and looked back towards where he had been seated earlier.

“Annali!” he called.

The siamese’s ears perked up, and soon it bounded over to him. Papa looked down at her and started for a moment before he finally nodded his head.

In an instant, Annali ran towards Cadence, transforming into a cloud of black smoke as she did so. Like a ghost slipping through a wall, she seemed to go through Cadence’s body in the blink of an eye before transforming back into a cat, putting herself in front of Mist.

Cadene gasped as she felt a sudden chill shoot up her spine. Her entire body went stiff, and before long, she dropped Sanguineum and collapsed onto the floor, slowly succumbing to the darkness.


	11. Beautiful Maroon

It seemed as if only a few minutes had passed when Cadence reopened her eyes, trying to blink the blurriness away. She groaned as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. She was so confused. What had just happened?

The young acolyte glanced at her surroundings once her eyes finally refocused. She was now in a room than was completely different from the one she had been in before. It seemed to be a study. The first thing she noticed was that she was on a large, red sofa of sorts. There was a large mahogany desk at the opposite end of the room, with two tall bookshelves against the wall next to it, along with a mic stand, a large speaker, and a music stand with sheet music. The walls were maroon and decorated with a few elaborate paintings; three of different moonlit landscapes, and one of a portrait of none other than Papa Emeritus. Below this painting was a fireplace; the logs crackling as they burned steadily. The flames scattered light onto the carpeting, which was a complex pattern of black, gold, and burgundy.

And in front of the fireplace, a little to the left of the sofa Cadence was on, was Emeritus, seated in a large chair with a book in his hands.

“P-...Papa?” Cadence rubbed the side of her head as she spoke.

Emeritus lowered his book, and smiled upon seeing her. “Oh, you’re up,” he said. He closed the book and placed it on the small table next to him before getting up and walking over to her. “How are you feeling?” he asked, sitting down beside her.

“I’m... still a little dizzy,” Cadence answered. She then paused, and turned to look at Papa. “And really confused. What happened earlier?”

Emeritus pressed his lips together, but did not turn his head to look at her. “You got out of control and started attacking Mist,” he said. “I let Annali put you to sleep with her powers.” He paused, staring at the flames in the fireplace, then gave a quiet sigh, cutting Cadence off just as she started to speak. 

“It… it was your blood. I saw that you consumed some of it, and it caused you to go mad.” He turned his head to look at her. “You’ve had that power even before you became an acolyte. When you consume your blood, you grow stronger and become a better fighter. But it also causes you to become insane. The same will happen if anyone else drinks it. Only a person with a strong will can combat those negative side effects and remain sane.”

Cadence remained silent, trying to process what Papa was telling her. After a moment, she opened her mouth to speak, but she suddenly took notice of her outfit. Her mask was still on, and her black pants and shoes were still the same, but her top was a mere sleeveless black garment without a hood.

“Mist provided that,” Papa said. “She offered to fix your costume. She's also with Liam right now, in case you were wondering.”

The dark pope sighed and leaned back into the cushions, closing his eyes. “I’m sorry, Cadence,” he said, his voice quiet like that of a child who had done something wrong.

Cadence blinked, confused. “For what?” she asked.

Emeritus reopened his eyes, but they focused on nothing. “I… I planned all of this. The meeting by the car, the ritual, your costume, the training and summoning sessions, everything. I even told Alpha to drug you. Twice! And not once did I stop to consider how you would feel during all of it.” He turned his head and gazed at her. “You must be so overwhelmed. I…”

His voice trailed off when he saw Cadence inch closer towards him. She smiled and cupped his cheek with one hand as she stared down at him.

“It was all for good intentions,” the young girl whispered. She gently placed her other hand on the back of Papa’s head, closed her eyes, and slowly leaned forward. Cadence kissed his painted lips softly, and she slowly began to pet the back of his head when Papa started to kiss back. 

Emeritus give a quiet sigh as the kiss broke, and Cadence smiled. But it quickly faded as soon as it appeared. She opened her eyes and furrowed her brow as she made eye contact with the dark pope.

“...Right?” she asked.

But Emeritus did not answer her. He stared at Cadence in silence for a minute before a smile returned to his face. He caressed her cheek with his thumb for a bit, then got off up off the sofa, stood up, and turned to face her. 

Papa held out his hand towards Cadence, and she took it without a word. Their eyes were locked onto each other as Emeritus closed his fingers around the girl’s hand and led her off the couch. He gently pulled Cadence close, pressing his body against hers. She stared up into his mismatched eyes, her lips slightly parted, not a single sound leaving them.

“Oh, Ghuleh,” he whispered. One arm wrapped around her waist. “What would my life be like without you? I don’t want to imagine that.”

“I don’t want to either.”

Emeritus took a small step forward. Cadence took a step back. It was at that moment that she became aware of some classical music coming from… somewhere. She turned with him, and before long, the two of them were moving to the tempo of the song, neither of them missing a beat.

“...Do you know why I gave you the name ‘Cadence’, Ghuleh?” Papa asked, breaking the silence.

Cadence thought for a moment, then shook head. “No, I don’t have a clue,” she replied.

Papa smiled and stopped the dance, releasing his hold on Cadence and allowing her to step back.

“It’s because you have such a lovely voice.”

Cadence blushed upon hearing Papa’s answer and averted her eyes, staring at the patterns on the floor. “It’s not that great…”

“Nonsense! You sing really well.” Emeritus walked over to the microphone and turned it on. “You should consider singing for others more often.” He tapped the mic twice with two fingers, ensuring that it was working.

Cadence furrowed her brow. “I… I’m not sure if I’m up to it,” she said. “I’m not much of a performer…” She watched as Papa reached out, grabbed a small, white, rectangular object from off his desk, and tapped it a few times, silencing the classical music that had been playing earlier.

“Well then, it’s a good thing that I’m going to be the one teaching you,” Emeritus said. “After all…” He tapped the small white object once more, and music began to play from it. It was the sound of a piano, followed soon by the soft strumming of electric guitars and the beating of drums. “... I am quite the showman.” A moment later, he closed his eyes and began to tap his foot to the beat of the song before he brought his face to the mic and began to sing.

“We conquered a magic  
We counted the stars.  
Deciphered the clockwork  
Enacted this farce…

“Devoured by shadows  
We cling to the light.   
Deluded by wisdom  
The bringer of night…”

Cadence stared in awe as Papa sang the song, finding herself becoming entranced by not only the music, but also the dark pope’s haunting yet beautiful voice and the graceful, conductor-like gestures he did with his hands as he sang at the mic.

“Time will soon be gone  
Right will turn to wrong  
Winds will come on strong  
So help you God  
Come unleashed  
You’re set free…”

Cadence was finally brought back to reality when Papa suddenly stopped singing and tapped the white object, causing the music to stop as well.

“Papa, th-...that was…” she tried to find the words to say, but none of the ones she came up with seemed sufficient.

Emeritus smiled at her and gave a small bow. “There’s no need for words, Ghuleh. The look on your face says it all.”

Cadence smiled back, but it soon disappeared when she glanced at the small white object that was still on the music stand. “Say, what is that?” she asked, pointing to it.

Papa picked up the small white object, which was almost as big as his hand. “This?” he asked, holding it up. Cadence nodded her head in reply, and he soon brought it over to show her, placing it in the girl’s hands. The small rectangular object had a screen, and a list of songs was being displayed on it, including the one Emeritus had been playing earlier.

“It’s called a ‘Testament’,” Papa said.

Cadence turned the Testament over in her hand, and noticed the black grucifix symbol on the back of the white case surrounding the screen. “I’ve… never seen one before,” she said, intrigued by the new piece of technology.

“They’re only meant for clergy members. Lower-class citizens cannot get their hands on one, even if they tried,” Emeritus explained. “And for good reason.” A frown suddenly appeared on his face. “If everyone had access to one, they’d focus on nothing else but the devices.” His expression was now one of disgust. “Their eyes would be glued to the screens like...like narcissists obsessing over themselves in the mirror! Can you even imagine that?!”

Cadence shook her head in reply. “Sounds terrible,” she said. “How would they ever get to enjoy the other things in life?” She then turned to look at Papa. “...So why give one to me?”

“Well, the obvious reason is that you’re a member of the clergy now. Everyone is required to have one in their possession.” Emeritus pressed a small black button that was near the bottom, and the list of songs suddenly faded into something different. “It helps us with our duties.” He then began to point to various icons that were being displayed. 

“Here you can call one of us, allowing you to talk across long distances. With this one you can listen to music when you have free time. Here you adjust the screen brightness…” The dark pope continued to point to the icons, explaining each of their functions.

“But all of that will be for another night,” he said after finishing his explanation of all the icons. He took the Testament out of Cadence’s hands and tapped on one of the icons, displaying the list of songs on the screen once more. “Right now, you sing.” He swiped his finger downward, scrolling up the list until he found the one he was looking for.

Papa led Cadence over to the mic and adjusted it so she could reach it. Afterwards, she turned to face him. “I… I really don’t know about this, Papa…” she said.

“Try.” Emeritus placed the Testament on the music stand. “Just try, Ghuleh. For me?”

Cadence stared at the dark pope for a moment and sighed. With the look he was giving her now, and the tone in his voice, she couldn’t bring herself to say “no”.

“...Alright,” she said, smiling once more. “I’ll do it.”

Emeritus smiled back, then turned and tapped the screen to select one of the songs. Immediately, the sound of guitars and a piano began to fill the room. Upon hearing the tune, Cadence’s eyes lit up.

“H-hey! I think I know this one!” she exclaimed, smiling. The young acolyte brought her face to the microphone, took a breath to calm herself, and as she closed her eyes began to sing the words:

“We're standing here by the abyss  
And the world is in flames  
Two star-crossed lovers reaching out  
To the beast with many names…”

As Cadence continued to sing, her nervousness began to fade away. When the song got to the refrain, she began to sing louder.

“He is  
He’s the shining in the light, without whom I cannot see.  
And he is  
Insurrection, he is spite  
He’s the force that made me be…”

Cadence had never felt such joy from singing before; such utter satisfaction. She felt as if her entire being was one with the music - her mind, her body, her voice, her soul. She felt like she had finally discovered her purpose, not realizing that she had been searching for it all along.

She felt alive.

“He is  
Nostro dis pater, nostr' alma mater  
He is…”

When Cadence finally finished singing the refrain, Emeritus tapped the screen, pausing the song. Smiling, she opened her eyes and turned to look at him. He was beaming at her.

“Yes!” he exclaimed, applauding her performance. “Yes yes yes! I knew you had it in you, Ghuleh! Well done!”

Cadence blushed from the excessive amount of praise she was receiving. “Th-thanks, Papa…” she said, averting her eyes. She remained silent for only a moment before she lifted her head to meet Emeritus’ eyes. “...Will we be doing this more often? It’s...fun.”

Emeritus nodded in reply. “Yes,” he answered. “And I’m glad that you took a liking to it after all.” He took the Testament off the music stand and placed it back onto his desk. “But opportunities like this won’t always come your way, Ghuleh. Sometimes you have to take a risk and find them for yourself.” The dark pope clasped his hands behind his back as he stared down at her. “Does that make sense?”

Cadence thought for a moment in silence, then nodded her head in response, smiling. But as her eyes continued to linger on the dark pope’s face, she could see a look in his mismatched eyes that hadn’t been there a moment ago.

“...Papa?” she asked. She brushed her brown bangs out of her eyes. “Is...is there something on your mind?”

“Hm? Oh no, nothing much. I just…” Emeritus paused, then gave a sigh. “...I just want to talk.”

Cadence blinked. “...About what?”

Her eyes widened when she felt Papa gently place his hands on her waist and pull her closer to him. She lifted her head to look up at him; staring into the twinkling green and white eyes that were before her. The young acolyte opened her mouth to speak, but not a sound left past her lips. She held her breath as Papa leaned forward so that his mouth was right by her ear.

“...You,” he whispered.

Cadence barely had any time to comprehend what she had just heard before Emeritus placed his hands on the sides of her head and brought her in for a kiss, slamming his lips into hers. Her eyes widened, but as his lips and tongue moved against her own, she soon found them fluttering shut. She moaned into his mouth as she wrapped her arms around his neck, just like the first time they had kissed. All other questions that had been lingering in her mind at that moment faded away as she succumbed to her desire.

Papa tasted like wine. He still smelled faintly of the incense that had been used during the ritual. His hair was soft to the touch. Cadence couldn’t get enough of it all. The kiss was so intoxicating. She loved it.

A quiet sigh left her as the kiss slowly broke apart; a thin string of saliva still connecting their mouths. Lightly panting for breath, Cadence raised her eyes and gazed up at Emeritus. “Wh...What about me?” she asked, suddenly remembering what she wanted to ask.

Papa didn’t respond to her question. Without saying a word, he picked Cadence up; one arm hooked under her knees, the other near her hips. He silently carried her over to the chair he had been sitting on earlier and sat down, placing her in his lap with her face towards him. Smiling, he removed his gloves, placing them on top of the book he had been reading, then began to lightly trail his hands up her bare arms.

“...I want to know if you've been sinful lately.” His hands reached Cadence’s mask, and he soon proceeded to untie it. When he was done, he dropped it onto the small table, then leaned forward. “Well? Have you, Ghuleh?” He then tilted her head upward and began to plant kisses on her neck.

Cadence sighed and closed her eyes, loving the feeling of having Papa’s mouth on her neck. Even though it had really been only a little more than a week ago since Papa last kissed her this way, to Cadence it felt like it had been years ago. Her hands squeezed the pope's shoulders. She could feel a craving welling up inside her. She wanted more, and all she had to do was say it. Bite me. Be rough with me. Use me. I'm yours! But she couldn’t bring herself to say those things. The words were caught in her throat.

“Answer me, Ghuleh.”

Cadence gasped when she felt Papa brush his thumb against her neck where her sigil was. She smiled and lowered her head to make eye contact with him.

“Sinful...how?” she asked, playfully tilting her head to the side.

Papa chuckled. “You know what I mean,” he said.

“But I want to hear you say it, Papa.”

There was a twinkle in Emeritus’ green eye, and he placed one hand on the back of Cadence’s head, bringing her closer to him.

“Have you been thinking… lustful thoughts, Ghuleh?” He exaggerated his pronunciation of “lustful”.

Cadence smiled. “Yes, Papa. I have.” She shivered as memories of the last time they had sex came back to her.

Papa brought his hands to her hips. “Have you been having these thoughts often?”

“Very.”

“Good. Very good.” He trailed one finger over the waistline of her pants, and his smile widened when he saw Cadence nibble her lower lip. “And I am right when I say that you want what occurred last week to happen again, correct?”

Cadence watched as Papa ran his fingers over her clothes, refusing to remove a single article of clothing. She held back a whine and nodded her head rather quickly in response. “Yes, Papa. Yes I do,” she whispered, the words rushing out of her mouth faster than she had intended them to.

Emeritus chuckled and placed two fingers under her chin, tilting her head up. They stared at each other in a tense silence, the only sounds in the room being the crackling of the fire and the ticking of the clock on the wall. Then, after what felt to Cadence like an eternity, Emeritus grasped one of her hands and squeezed it.

“...Then why don’t you go ahead and undress me?” he whispered.

Cadence gasped, and her eyes widened. She pulled back a bit and stared at the dark pope in disbelief, her mouth hanging open.

“I'm serious, Cadence,” Papa said, petting the back of her head with his empty hand.

Cadence continued to stare at him for only a bit longer. Suddenly, without warning, the young acolyte reached out and began to tear at the buttons on Papa's shirt. “Too long...Too damn long…” she muttered.

Emeritus chuckled. “H-hey now, slow down, Ghuleh.” He gently placed his hands on hers, making her stop. “We both want to savor the moment, don't we?”

Cadence exhaled quietly and nodded, but her eyes still clearly reflected her excitement and impatience. She waited until Papa took his hands off hers before she continued to undo the buttons, slower this time. Little by little, pale skin which had been hidden by articles of clothing for so long began to be revealed to her, and before long she had finally fully removed Papa's shirt and suit jacket.

The young acolyte remained in silence as she stared at the newly exposed skin. It was flawless and just slightly tanned. “P-Papa, you're… you're beautiful…” she said, finally finding the words to say. She placed her shaking hands on the lower part of his torso and slowly slid them upwards toward his shoulders. He felt soft under her touch.

Emeritus closed his eyes and sighed as he felt Cadence begin to massage and plant light kisses on his neck, chest, and shoulders. Her touch was light, and helped him to relax. “I'm all yours, Ghuleh,” he whispered, resting the back of his head on the chair. He didn't usually give himself up so quickly in situations like these, but this… this was different. He wanted Cadence to be happy. He wanted to help her fulfill her wishes. And now, he was helping to satisfy just one of her many desires.  
She dragged her nails back down his chest, leaving small trails of fire along the skin. He gritted his teeth and gripped the arms of the chair.

“Yes...yes, that's- o-OH!” Abruptly, the volume of his voice increased and his body tensed up even more.

Cadence gasped and quickly took her hands off him. “I-I didn’t hurt you, did I?” she asked, her worry clearly visible.

Papa calmed down after a moment and opened his eyes, smiling at her. 

“No. No, you did nothing wrong,” he said, reassuring her. “You just…” His eyes flicked downward towards the lower part of his chest, where a small, black grucifix symbol was plastered onto his skin. “You just grazed my sigil, that's all.”

Cadence followed his gaze and stared at the mark as well. “...This?” She reached out one hand and began to lightly rub it with the tips of her middle and index fingers in small circular motions. “...Is it sensitive right here?” she asked.

Emeritus gripped the chair again. “Y-yes…!” he gasped. “Very!”

Cadence took her hand off the mark. “And it feels...good?”

A smile reappeared on Papa’s face after he steadied his breathing, and he placed one hand on her back. He began to slowly trail upwards toward the back of her neck. “Well...you tell me…” He lightly dragged his nails over the girl’s triangular mark over and over. “Does this feel good to you?”

A noise that sounded like something between a gasp and a wail left Cadence’s throat as she felt electric shocks shoot through her entire body. She shut her eyes tightly, arched her back, and gripped the pope’s shoulders as the sensation took hold of her, making her feel like she'd lost all power in an instant. 

“Mmn...Y-yes, Papa! Yes it does…!” She bit down on her lower lip, trying to keep her voice contained, but small whimpers still left her. She was loving the feeling, and was amazed that such a small action could make her feel like this…

...But just when Cadence was beginning to feel like she couldn’t get enough of it, Papa took his hand off her. She leaned forward and rested her body against his chest. She was still shaking slightly.

Emeritus smiled at her. “Are you spent already?” he asked.

Cadence sighed and sat up slightly, shaking her head in response. “N-no, that was just… unexpected. That felt so good…” The young girl opened her eyes, taking a glance at Papa's sigil again. “I didn't think that-…” 

She suddenly stopped talking, and her smile faded. Her eyes glanced farther downward and soon widened slightly. “P-Papa, you’re…” She swallowed thickly. “...y-you’re hard…”

Papa’s grin widened. He placed one hand underneath Cadence’s chin and tilted her head upward so he could meet her eyes. “It's because you please me so well,” he said, stroking her cheek with his thumb as he gazed at her. He then took one of her hands, placed it on the bulge in the front of his pants, and began to rub it in small, circular motions.

Cadence felt her cheeks grow even hotter when she touched his arousal. She watched as Papa moved her hand, and tried her best to keep her breathing steady. After a bit of time passed, he released his hold on her, and Cadence continued moving her hand in the same manner Papa had guided her. It was a slow, gentle rub; one which dragged soft moans from past the dark pope's lips and caused him to grind against her hand.

“Oh, Papa…” The young acolyte leaned forward and planted kisses up Emeritus’ chest as she continued to rub him through his pants. When she got to the lower part of his neck, she tilted her head up to gaze into the pope’s mismatched eyes. She took her free hand and cupped his cheek, then closed her eyes and captured his mouth with her own. Feeling bold, she made sure to add her tongue as well. Papa, in turn, moaned into her mouth and wrapped his arms around her as his tongue met hers.

“...Can...can I take these off too?” she asked when the kiss broke, her hands gripping the waistband of his pants.

“Of course,” Papa whispered, nodding his head in reply. He kicked his shoes off his feet. “Go ahead, Ghuleh. Take them off.”

Cadence sighed and smiled upon hearing Papa say those words, and soon got off him and onto the floor, kneeling between his legs. She undid the button and zipper on his trousers, then slowly began pulling them down until they dropped to the floor. She paused for a moment to run her hand along his calf, then eyed his black boxers and removed them as well. 

Her eyes widened upon seeing the pope’s erect, swollen cock, and as she stared at it and held it in her hands she found herself at a loss for words.

“...Papa…” She started to speak, but soon stopped. The young acolyte closed her eyes, leaned forward, and took the tip into her mouth as she began stroking up and down with her hands. She reveled in the sounds which she drew from him as she took her time taking him in; the gasps and moans sounding just as beautiful as his singing had been earlier. 

“Such a good girl…” Papa wove his fingers in the girl’s hair. “Such a good...Oh f-fuck!” He gasped and began to utter profanities when she took him in deeper into her mouth, then pulled him back out again and swirled her tongue around the tip. She did this same pattern over and over again, until Papa’s grip on her hair tightened and he pulled her off. She whimpered as his cock left her mouth, and soon began panting for air.

“Did...Did I do good, Papa?” she asked after finally catching her breath.

“Oh, älskling…” Papa held into Cadence’s shoulders as got up off the chair and got down in front of her. He removed her sleeveless top and tossed it onto the floor. “You did so well.” His eyes roamed over her upper body, and he soon unhooked her bra, exposing her breasts to the air. “But now it's about time I returned the favor, don't you think?” He closed his eyes and began planting kisses all over her body, massaging her breasts at the same time.

Cadence held onto Papa as he lavished her upper body with attention and made her lay on the floor. The fire in between her legs was burning, and her panties were getting extremely wet. She couldn't take it much longer. She needed him.

“P-Papa, please…” she moaned.

“Hm?” Emeritus ceased nibbling her neck and met her eyes. He slid one hand into her pants, past her underwear, and began to stroke her between her legs. “Please what, Ghuleh?” he asked, smiling.

“P-please…” Cadence begged him again.

“Cadence, I can't give you what you want unless you tell me.” He slipped one finger between her folds. “Now please, tell Papa what it is you want.”

“I-I… want you-ah-!” Her nails dug into his back when she felt his finger arch against her g-spot. She felt extremely sensitive all if a sudden.

“...Yes?”

Cadence cracked her eyes open a tad.“I-mmn! I-I want you… inside me…!” she begged.

Emeritus stopped his movements and smiled. “Oh, Ghuleh…” he whispered, sliding his fingers out as he leaned over her. His face was just inches from hers. “...of course. Anything for you.” He closed his eyes and sighed as his lips met hers, letting his hands explore her upper body once again as his tongue entwined with hers.

Another sigh left him when the kiss broke, and he opened his eyes to gaze down at her as he stroked her cheek with his hand. But no sooner had his fingers trailed over the skin, he quickly stopped and looked at his hand. The popes eyes widened - his index finger was covered in red. Looking down at the girl underneath him, he saw that trails of red were smeared over her chest and her cheek.

“A-...Are you…” He glanced down at where her crotch was, and soon reached out and undid the button and zipper on her pants. Upon pulling down her pants, he saw that her panties were stained with a small amount of red.

Blood.

“Oh…” he whispered, staring at the spot.

“Wh-what? What is it?” Cadence asked, lifting her head slightly.

Papa’s smile returned to his face. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply through his nose.

“Ohhh my…” he moaned, shivering for a moment. He opened his eyes and looked down at Cadence as he exhaled. “You are menstruating, Ghuleh.”

It took a moment for Papa’s words to register, but when they did Cadence’s eyes widened with shock.

“O-OH MY GOSH!” she cried, attempting to sit up and get away from Papa. “I-I'm so sorry, Papa! I-I'll-!”

“Hush.” Papa gently placed his hands on her and made her lay back down. “Hush now. Don't fret, Ghuleh.” He placed a light kiss on her forehead. “Just lie here and let Papa take care of you.”

He moved back down her body, and soon pulled the blood-soaked panties off her. The pope inched his fingers up the insides of her thighs and soon leaned forward, burying his face in her crotch. He licked her slowly; moaning as fresh drops of blood landed on his tongue.

Cadence could do nothing to stop her voice as her extra-sensitive body was pleasured by Papa's warm, wet tongue. Her moans were loud and honest as he lapped up the blood that continued to spill out. She arched her back and nearly screamed when he sucked her clit hard, losing herself in the pleasure.

This was so wrong, she thought to herself. But it felt. So. Good.

Then he stopped. Cadence furrowed her brow and whimpered at the loss of his mouth. She was so close to release. She couldn’t take it much longer. The young girl opened her eyes slightly and gazed up at Papa, silently begging with him.

“Are you prepared to receive me?” he asked.

“Yes...please,” Cadence whispered, nodding her head. “I’m ready for you, Papa.”

Not a word was spoken between them as Emeritus positioned himself and slid into her. Only groans and cries pleasure were uttered from both of them as Papa moved inside her, thrusting hard and fast, just how Cadence liked it. She came after just a few hard thrusts, crying out in bliss as she held onto the dark pope, her nails digging into his back. After thrusting a bit longer, Papa soon came as well, holding the young acolyte close to him as he spilled himself into her with a loud grunt, his entire body shaking.

“P-...Papa…” Cadence caressed the top of his head as she spoke between breaths. With a sigh, she placed her forehead on his shoulder and closed her eyes. “...I love you.”

Emeritus smiled and placed a kiss on her neck as he pulled out of her. “Oh, Ghuleh…” he whispered. “I-...” But he quickly stopped in the middle of his sentence and gazed down at her in silence.

Cadence opened her eyes and looked up at him.

“...Is something wrong, Papa?” she asked, furrowing her brow slightly.

Papa sighed and smiled, placing a hand on his chest. His body glistened with sweat in the warm firelight. “I’m sorry, Ghuleh. I just realized that I never gave you a proper welcome earlier.”

Cadence smiled sheepishly. “It...It’s really not necessary…”

“Well I insist.” He took one one of her hands in his and gazed at Cadence for a moment before reaching out towards her with his empty hand. He slowly traced the grucifix symbol on her forehead.

“From darkness you came, and now the darkness you serve. May the blessings of our dark lord fall upon thee as you do all that he asks.” When he was finished speaking, he took his hand off her forehead and placed it on her cheek. Emeritus smiled at her.

“Welcome to the clergy, Cadence,” he said.

Cadence smiled back at him, gripping his hand a little tighter.

“Thank you,” she whispered. The young acolyte then wrapped her arms around him, and the two shared a short embrace before Papa pulled away from her.

“Now then,” he said, breaking the silence. “Let’s go get you cleaned up.”

***  
Papa had called down a Sister of Sin after he had cleaned Cadence up and they had both gotten dressed. When she arrived at the office, she had introduced herself to Cadence as “Cirice”. Afterwards, conversation was short, and farewells were soon given.

Papa watched the door close behind Cadence before turning back towards his desk. He picked up Cadence’s Testament and plugged the cord into it to connect the device to the wall outlet. He wouldn’t let her keep the Testament until he deemed she knew how to use it without his help.

The dark pope glanced at the clock on the wall again. There was still about thirteen minutes left until his meeting started. Just enough time to finish the chapter he had been reading earlier.

Emeritus walked back over to his chair, but stopped by the fireplace for a moment, staring at the small shelf above it. On the shelf were various trophies - awards he and the Ghouls had received for their musical achievements. He smiled as he wiped a few specks of dust off of the small golden gramophone, ensuring that it looked as pristine and perfect as the time he had first received it months ago. 

His attention was soon drawn away from the trophies to a small, locked, black and silver box placed in the center. The pope’s smile slowly disappeared. He eyed the bricks in the wall behind the gramophone trophy, and after a small moment of hesitation reached out and removed one from the fireplace. There, hidden in the gap, was a small, silver key. Picking the key up, he unlocked the small box. Upon opening it, he was presented with a black and purple circlet. 

Papa picked up the intricate headpiece and examined it in the light. The circlet resembled black vines that were being woven together. Small purple rhinestones dotted the accessory. However, there was an open gap in the center that appeared to be meant for a larger stone that was apparently missing.

Emeritus gazed at the circlet in his hands in silence for a moment, occasionally turning it in his hands slightly, before glancing at the door Cadence had walked out of. He stared at the door for a bit, then sighed and turned away.

“Not now,” he mumbled. He delicately placed the circlet back into the box and closed it, making sure to relock it when he was done. “Just a little bit longer.”


End file.
